Information
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Patent Grant
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6237996
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Patent Number
6,237,996
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Date Filed
Thursday, August 17, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, May 29, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
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Original Assignees
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Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 297 118
- 297 130
- 297 25011
- 297 2561
- 297 4231
- 297 4232
- 297 25616
- 297 42321
- 297 35412
- 297 4234
- 297 42319
- 297 42326
- 297 42328
- 297 4401
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A detachable seat comprises a movable curve member capable of being in a first position when curve member is extended away from the seat to serve as footrest or a second position when curve member is beneath seat such that curve member and seat together are supported on the ground to serve as an independent chair.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a seat mounted on highchair, stroller, or swing capable of being detached therefrom to serve as an independent chair.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a seat is provided on highchair, stroller, or swing for providing some degree of comfort to infant seated thereon. Typically, a footrest either detachable or fixed is coupled to the seat. In detail, as for fixed seat two tubes or a plate thereof are (or is) threadedly secured to front legs, or alternatively the footrest being integrally formed with seat. Also, a seat may be detached from highchair, stroller or swing to serve as seat on automobile. However, such detached seat may not serve as an independent chair to stand on a supporting ground. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,102 discloses a chair comprising a seat having a seat portion and a back portion, a seat support, and a frame having a plurality of front legs, rear legs, and hinges. It also discloses following components. For example, two elongate projections inserted into holes in the rear of seat, a hook on the front underside of seat, a wing plate beneath either arm, and rotational means. Seat support for supporting seat comprises second hinges and rectangular tubes having bends near legs and coupled to second hinges on the front. The hook is hooked on tube. The second hinge is abutted on the front edge of the wing plate. The rotational means is provided on second hinge to rotate. The hinge of frame is pivotably coupled to the ends of front and rear legs. The second hinge of seat support is pivotably coupled to front leg. Seat support is movable along front leg by pressing the rotational means.
But above patent is unsatisfactory for the purpose for which the invention is concerned because seat can not stand on ground on its own after being detached from seat support.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a detachable seat comprising a movable curve member capable of being in a first position when curve member is extended away from the seat to serve as footrest or a second position when curve member is beneath seat such that curve member and seat together are supported on the ground to serve as an independent chair.
The advantages of the present invention are realized by providing a detachable seat wherein in the first position, wing plate is snapped in apertures of the curve member passing through the rectangular opening in the front lower portion of seat, and curve member is restrained from pivoting counterclockwise any further when infant's feet are placed on footrest of the curve member since the pivot of the curve member is restrained by pin, thereby securing the curve member; and in the second position, footrest of the curve member is received in the rectangular opening of the seat, and engagement portion of curve member is engaged with the triangular wing plate beneath the seat such that the seat is stably supported on the ground.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a detachable seat according to the invention wherein curve member is separated from seat;
FIG. 2
is a side view of the
FIG. 1
seat with curve member disposed under the curve member in a second position;
FIG. 3
is a side view of the
FIG. 1
seat mounted on highchair with curve member extended to serve as footrest in a first position; and
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of FIG.
3
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIGS. 1
,
2
, and
3
, there is shown a seat
10
constructed in accordance with the invention comprising a back portion
101
, a seat portion
102
, and a curve member
103
. Back portion
101
is pivotably secured to seat portion
102
. A triangular wing plate
1021
is centrally disposed under the bottom of seat portion
102
. An elongate wing plate
1022
is in the front of wing plate
1021
having a bore for permitting pin
1023
to pass through. A rectangular opening
1024
is provided in the front lower portion of seat portion
102
for permitting curve member
103
to insert through to be located in a first position (i.e., most of curve member
103
extended away from the seat portion
102
) or a second position (i.e., near all of curve member
103
beneath seat portion
102
). Curve member
103
comprises a bend
1031
, an engagement portion
1032
, a top portion
1033
, a footrest
1034
, and a pair of apertures
1035
.
In the first position (FIG.
3
), wing plate
1022
is snapped in apertures
1035
. At this position, curve member
103
is restrained from pivoting counterclockwise any further when infant's feet are placed on the recess shaped footrest
1034
since the pivot of curve member
103
is restrained by pin
1023
. As a result, curve member
103
is secure.
In the second position (FIG.
2
), footrest
1034
is received in opening
1024
of seat portion
102
. Engagement portion
1032
of curve member
103
is engaged with the front edge of wing plate
1021
. Fop portion
1033
is urged against the underside of seat portion
102
. The bottom of bend
1031
and the front lower edge of seat portion
102
are supported on ground. As a result, the seat
10
can serve as an independent chair.
Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, there is shown a seat
10
of the invention mounted on shaped hollow member
20
and support structure
30
of highchair. Seat
10
is for supporting infant. Shaped hollow member
20
comprises a front portion
202
and a rear portion
201
functioning as supporting seat
10
and infant. Support structure
30
functions as supporting the whole support and infant.
In a first position, seat
10
is supported by shaped hollow member
20
with rear portion
201
engaged with wing plate
1021
, front portion
202
beneath the bend
1031
of curve member
103
when curve member
103
is extended away from the seat
10
for supporting curve member
103
.
In a second position, curve member
103
is pushed inward to a position beneath seat
10
and below footrest
1034
of curve member
103
. At this time, rear
201
is engaged with the top of bend
1031
of curve member
103
.
Note that the detachable seat of the invention is also applicable to stroller or swing in addition to above highchair case.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A convertible seat device comprising:a seat having an opening in a front lower portion and a plurality of elongate wing plates; and a curve member including a bend, a top portion, a footrest, and a plurality of apertures, the curve member being movably disposed in the opening of the seat being in a first position when the curve member is extended away from the seat with the elongate wing plates snapped in the apertures of the curve member passing through the opening or a second position when the curve member is beneath the seat with the footrest received in the opening and the top portion urged against the underside of the seat such that the curve member and the seat together are supported on the ground.
- 2. The convertible seat device of claim 1, wherein the seat further comprising a plurality of triangular wing plates disposed under the bottom of the seat, and the curve member further comprises an engagement portion engaged with the edges of the triangular wing plates in the second position.
- 3. The convertible seat device of claim 1, wherein the seat further comprises a back portion and a seat portion pivotably secured to the back portion.
- 4. The convertible seat device of claim 1, wherein the curve member comprises a recess shaped footrest.
- 5. The convertible seat device of claim 1, wherein the elongate wing plates are in the front portion beneath the seat each having a bore, and further comprising a pin passed through the bores for withstanding force applied by the curve member.
- 6. An infant support, comprising:a support structure; a seat releasably secured to the supporting structure in an elevated position, the seat having an opening in a front lower portion of the seat; and a curve member movably disposed in the opening of the seat, the curve member being structured such that it is either in a first position when the curve member is extended away from the seat to serve as a footrest, or in a second position when the curve member is beneath the seat such that the curve member and the seat together are supported on the ground.
- 7. The infant support of claim 6, wherein the seat further comprises a back portion and a seat portion pivotably secured to the back portion.
- 8. The infant support of claim 6, wherein the curve member comprises a recess shaped footrest.
- 9. The infant support of claim 6, wherein the infant support is a highchair.
- 10. The infant support of claim 6, wherein the seat further comprises a plurality of elongated wing plates in the front portion beneath the seat each having a bore and a pin passed through the bores for withstanding a force applied by the curve member.
- 11. The infant support of claim 6, wherein the curve member comprises a bend, a top portion, a footrest, and a plurality of apertures, the curve member being in the first position when the curve member is extended away from the seat with the elongated wing plates snapped in the apertures of the curve member passing through the opening, or the second position when the curve member is beneath the seat with the footrest received in the opening and the top portion urged against the underside of the seat.
- 12. The infant support of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of triangular wing plates centrally disposed under the bottom of the seat, and the curve member further comprises an engagement portion engaged with the edges of the triangular wing plates in the second position.
US Referenced Citations (6)