GB2086220A - Chair for a baby or a child - Google Patents

Abstract

A chair for a baby or a child comprises a body portion 2 arranged to accommodate the baby or child and a frame assembly 10 for supporting the body portion to which the body portion is detachably secured. The frame assembly comprises two frames 12, 13 which are interpivoted adjacent their upper ends and are foldable into a substantially planar arrangement. The body portion comprises a substantially rigid member and may be formed by a moulding of plastics material having a straight back portion joined to a convex seat portion by a concave intermediate portion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Chair for a baby or a child Technical Field of the Invention This invention relates to a chair suitable for a baby or a child.

Background Art High chairs as previously proposed tend to be relatively heavy and cumbersome arrangements in order that they will remain stable despite the vigorous movements of an energetic child.

Moreover, the design of a high chair tends to be related to the age and size of the child for which it is intended, so that a high chair suitable for a young baby becomes unsuitable within a very few months.

An object of the invention is to provide a chair for a baby or a child which alleviates at least one of the above-mentioned difficulties.

Disclosure of the Invention According to the present invention a chair for a baby or a child comprises a body portion arranged to accommodate the baby or child, a frame assembly for supporting the body portion, and means for detachably securing the body portion to the frame assembly.

Preferably, the body portion comprises a substantially rigid member and is formed by a moulding of plastics material.

Conveniently, the body portion comprises a substantially straight back portion joined to a convex seat portion by a concave intermediate portion.

The chair may be provided with a profiled attachment which fits over the convex seat portion so that the convex surface is modified to form substantially a right angle. The profiled attachment may terminate in a substantially straight portion forming a foot rest.

The frame assembly may comprise a plurality of rigid members which are interpivoted and foldable into a substantially planar arrangement in which the rigid members extend substantially parallel to each other.

The frame assembly may be formed by a pair of side frames between which the body portion is supported, each side frame comprising a plurality of rigid members which are interpivoted and foldable into a compact bundle.

Each side frame may comprise two rigid members pivotally connected at their upper ends so that their lower ends can be splayed apart, each member of a side frame forming a leg of the chair.

Means may be provided for adjusting the distance that the lower ends of the members of the side frames can be splayed apart and for locking the lower ends of the members of the side frames in a plurality of splayed apart positions.

The members of the side frames which form the legs may be provided with detachable extensions and the detachable extensions may be push fit in sockets at or near the lower ends of the legs.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the body portion of the chair shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of another chair in accordance with the invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Referring in the first instance to Figures 1 and 2, the chair 1 comprises a body portion 2 which is shaped to accommodate a baby or a child and is formed by a substantially rigid moulding of plastics material. The moulding, which is substantially L-shaped when seen in side view, has a substantially straight back portion 3 joined to a convex seat portion 4 by a concave intermediate portion 5. The seat portion 4 is extended upwards, at each side, to form arm rests 7. The edges of the back portion 3 and the arm rests 7 and the lower edge of the seat portion 4 are curled over to provide a rounded periphery.

The back portion 3 is provided with a plurality of narrow apertures 8 and further narrow apertures 9 are provided in the seat portion 4.

Flexible tapes (not shown) can be fitted into the apertures 8 and 9 to allow the body portion 2 to be carried in front of a person or strapped into a car or other vehicle. Tapes fitted into the apertures 8 and 9 may also form a harness which retains a child or baby in the body portion 2.

The body portion 2 is supported on a frame assembly 10 which is formed by a plurality of rigid tubular members which are interpivoted and foldable into a substantially planar arrangement.

The frame assembly 10 comprises two side frames each of which includes a tubular member 12 and a somewhat shorter tubular member 13 pivotally connected at their upper ends by a clip 1 5 which is welded to the tubular member 12 and is connected to the tubular member 13 by a pivot pin 16.

A bracing strut 17 which is pivotally connected to the tubular member 12 at a position intermediate its ends by a pivot pin 1 8 and is secured to a screw-threaded pin 1 9 projecting from the tubular member 1 3 by a circular knurled nut 20. The pin 1 9 is received in a slot 21 provided in the strut 1 7 so that the tubular members 12 and 1 3, which form the legs of the chair, can be clamped in the splayed apart position. The knurled nuts 20 can be tightened by the fingers to clamp the tubular members 12 and 1 3 in the splayed apart position. In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the bracing strut may be formed by a two piece over-centre link.

The members 12 and 1 3 of the side frames are also provided with extensions formed by tubular members 22 and 23 which convert the chair from a low chair to a high chair. The tubular member 22 forms a push fit in a socket 24 in the end of the tubular member 12 while the tubular member 23 forms a push fit in socket 25 near to the end of the tubular member 1 3. Alternatively, the ends of the members 22 and 23 and the sockets 24 and 25 could be provided with screw threads in order to connect them together.

Extending horizontally between the upper ends of the members 12 is a further tubular member 26 to which is secured a rigid metal strip 27 of sinuous cross-section. An arcuate portion 29 of the strip 27 is permanently secured to the tubular member 26, for example by welding, while the remaining portion of the strip forms a substantially rectangular channel 30 having its open side facing upwards. A further tubular member 31 extends horizontally between the members 12 intermediate the pivot pins 1 8 and the sockets 24.

The body portion 2 of the chair is attached to the frame assembly 10 by inserting a depending lip 32 which extends across the back portion 3 into the channel 30 on the strip 27 and inserting screwed bolts 33 through aligned holes provided in the seat portion 4 and the tubular member 31.

The screwed bolts are secured in the aligned holes by wing nuts which can be tightened by the fingers. Thus the chair can be assembled without the use of tools. The tubular members 12 and 13 which form the legs of the chair can be splayed apart to the desired angle and the knurled nuts 20 tightened. The chair may be used as a high chair by fitting the tubular members 22 and 23 or converted to a low chair by removing these members. The chair may also be fitted with a detachable tray 35 which slots on to the arm rests 7.

When an older child wishes to adopt a more upright sitting position, then a profiled attachment 37 is fitted to the seat portion 4 of the chair. This profiled attachment 37, which is formed by a moulding of plastics material, modifies the convex shape of the seat portion 4 so that it forms substantially a right angle. The attachment 37 is also provided with a straight portion which extends substantially horizontally and forms a foot rest. The attachment 37 is provided with holes through which the screwed bolts 33 are inserted to secure it to the seat portion 4 of the chair.

Referring finally to Figure 3, the chair 41 comprises a body portion in the form of a seat 42 shaped to accommodate a child in a sitting position and formed by a substantially rigid moulding of plastics material. The seat 42 is attached to two linear tubular members 43 each of which terminates in a swivel joint 44 of plastics material. The seat 42 is supported on a frame assembly 50 which is formed from a plurality of rigid tubular members which are interpivoted and foldable into a substantially planar arrangement.

The frame assembly 50 comprises a front frame 51 and a rear frame 52 of similar configuration and each comprises an inverted U-shaped member 53 to which is attached an inverted Ushaped bracing member 54. The side limbs 55 of the bracing members 54 are riveted to the side limbs 56 of the U-shaped members 53 towards their lower ends which terminate in feet 57 of rubber or other non-slip material.

The intermediate limbs 59 of the front and rear frames 51 and 52 extend substantially horizontally and are pivotally connected together by two swivel joints 61 of plastics material so that the front and rear frames can be moved between the position shown in which the feet 57 are splayed apart and a second position in which the two frames lie close to one another in a substantially planar arrangement. The front and rear frames 51 and 52 are arranged to be secured in the splayed apart position shown by two bracing struts 62 formed by two piece over-centre links which extend between the side limbs 56 of the two frames.

A further tubular member 63 extends horizontally between the side limbs 56 of the front frame 51 and has secured thereto the swivel joints 44 on the ends of the members 43 which support the seat 42. A tray 64 of plastics material is pivotally mounted on the side limbs 56 of the front frame 51 and is secured in a horizontal position by two bracing members 65. When the front and rear frames 51 and 52 are folded into a substantially planar arrangement the bracing members 65 are released so that the tray can hang down substantially co-planar with the two frames.

Claims (20)

1. A chair for a baby or a child comprising a body portion arranged to accommodate the baby or child, a frame assembly for supporting the body portion, and means for detachably securing the body portion to the frame assembly.

2. A chair as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a substantially rigid member.

3. A chair as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the body portion comprises a moulding of plastics material.

4. A chair as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame assembly comprises a plurality of rigid members which are interpivoted and foldable into a planar arrangement in which the rigid members extend substantially parallel to each other.

5. A chair as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the interpivoted members are tubular metal members.

6. A chair as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the frame assembly comprises a pair of side frames between which the body portion is supported, each side frame comprising a plurality of rigid members which are interpivoted and foldable into a compact bundle.

7. A chair as claimed in Claim 6, wherein each side frame comprises two rigid members pivotally connected at their upper ends so that their lower ends can be splayed apart, each member of a side frame forming a leg of the chair.

8. A chair as claimed in Claim 7, provided with means for adjusting the distance that the lower ends of the members of the side frames can be splayed apart.

9. A chair as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the lower ends of the members of the side frames can be locked in a plurality of splayed apart positions.

10. A chair as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein the members of side frames which form the legs are provided with detachable extensions.

11. A chair as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the detachable extensions are a push fit in sockets at or near the lower ends of the legs.

12. A chair as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body portion comprises a substantially straight back portion joined to a convex seat portion by a concave intermediate portion.

13. A chair as claimed in Claim 12, including a profiled attachment which fits over the convex seat portion so that the convex surface is modified to form substantially a right angle.

14. A chair as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the profiled attachment terminates in a substantially straight portion forming a foot rest.

1 5. A chair as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the frame assembly comprises a front frame and a rear frame of an inverted U-shaped configuration pivotally interconnected at the intermediate limbs of the U's so that the side limbs of the U's form the legs of the chair.

16. A chair as claimed in Claim 15, including means for locking the legs of the chair in a splayed apart position.

17. A chair as claimed in Claim 1 5 or Claim 16, wherein the body portion comprises a seat for a child.

18. A chair as claimed in any one of Claims 1 5 to 17, including a tray pivotally mounted on the front frame and arranged to be braced in a substantially horizontal position when the legs of the chair are splayed apart, the tray being arranged to release to a position co-planar with the front and rear frames when the front and rear frames are folded into a planar arrangement.

1 9. A chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.