Patent Application
20250057328
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The disclosure relates to booster seats and more particularly pertains to a new booster seat for supporting and entertaining a child.
The prior art relates to booster seats. Many prior art booster seats are designed to safely secure a toddler or child on a chair, for example boosting the toddler or child up to an appropriate height for using a nearby table. They are typically formed of combinations of durable, easy-to-clean materials, sometimes with padding to improve the child's comfort. Some designs include arm rests, back rests, and other modifications. However, these booster seat disclosures focus on the safety and physical comfort of the child. While those considerations are important, the prior art fails to disclose a booster seat with the added functionality of a toy or other entertainment device. Thus, there is a need in the art for a booster seat that can both support and entertain the child.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a peripheral wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall to define an interior space. A window is positioned in the peripheral wall. The peripheral wall has a vent extending therethrough, with a mesh grill covering the vent. A plurality of instruments is positioned within the interior space. The plurality of instruments is visible through the window and is audible through the vent. Alternative embodiments may include a speaker and an electronic sound emitter that function in concert with the instruments. The electronic sound emitter may include a transceiver, a memory unit, and a central processing unit so that pre-recorded sounds or songs can be played audibly with the speaker. Some embodiments include lights that are controlled by the central processing unit.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
As shown in
A window 22 is positioned in the peripheral wall 18. For example, the window 22 may comprise a durable transparent material, such as plexiglass. Said peripheral wall 18 has a vent 24 extending therethrough. In the embodiments depicted in
A plurality of instruments 28 is positioned within the interior space 20. The plurality of instruments 28 is visible through the window 22 and is audible through the vent 24. In embodiments, the plurality of instruments 28 may comprise musical instruments, including bells, metal bars, cymbals, chimes, metal plates, ball bearings, and horns. The plurality of instruments 28 are positioned within the interior space 20 such that at least one of the plurality of instruments 28 makes a sound, or emits a noise, when the housing 12 is moved or when a percussive force is applied to the housing 12. For example, if the plurality of musical instruments 28 includes bells, the bells should ring when a user 66 shakes or strikes the housing 12.
In some embodiments, the top wall 14 is removably attached to the peripheral wall 18. The plurality of instruments 28 may also be removably mounted to the housing 12 within the interior space 20. Such embodiments are shown most clearly in
The musical booster seat device 10 further comprises a plurality of straps 30 attached to the housing 12 and configured to removably attach the housing 12 to a chair 68. The plurality of straps 30 generally includes a bottom strap 32 that is affixed to the bottom wall 16. The bottom strap 32 extends outwardly from the bottom wall 16. In some embodiments, the bottom strap 32 has an adjustable length. The plurality of straps 30 may also include a side strap 34 that is affixed to the peripheral wall 18. The side strap 34 extends outwardly from the peripheral wall 18. For example, the side strap 34 may be attached to the peripheral wall 18 adjacent to the vent 24. The side strap 34 may also have an adjustable length. In the embodiments depicted, each of the bottom 32 and side 34 straps have a break therein to define a pair of strap portions. A plurality of fasteners 36 is attached to each of the strap portions such that the strap portions are releasably secured together. For example, the fasteners 36 may include buckles, clips, or any other appropriate fastening structure.
The musical booster seat device 10 may further comprise a plurality of legs 38 attached to the bottom wall 16. The plurality of legs 38 extends downwardly from the bottom wall 16. For example, the plurality of legs 38 may be formed of a smooth and tapered material that will not splinter, fracture, or break and thereby risk injury to the user 66. A plurality of non-skid pads 40 may also be included, for example each of the plurality of legs 38 may have one of the plurality of non-skid pads 40 attached thereto.
An alternative embodiment is depicted in
A memory unit 52 may be positioned within the interior space 20. The memory unit 52 is electrically coupled to the central processing unit 50. A plurality of sounds and songs may be stored on the memory unit 52. Said central processing unit 50 is configured to access the plurality of sounds and songs, and to play at least one of the plurality of sounds or songs audibly with the speaker 44.
A transceiver 54 may be positioned within the interior space 20. The transceiver 54 is electrically coupled to the central processing unit 50. The transceiver 54 is configured to communicate with an external electronic device 56. For example, the transceiver 54 may be configured to receive a recording from the external electronic device 56. In such embodiments, the memory unit 52 may be configured to store the recording. Said central processing unit 50 is configured to access the recording and to play the recording audibly with the speaker 44.
A plurality of lights 58 is positioned on the housing 12. The plurality of lights 58 is directed outwardly away from the housing 12, for example from the peripheral wall 18 as shown in
A control 60 may be positioned on the housing 12 and is electronically coupled to the central processing unit 50. The control 60 is configured to actuate the central processing unit 50. The control 60 is also configured to turn on and off the speaker 44 and the plurality of lights 58. The control 60 may also be configured to adjust a volume of the speaker 44, or to change a selection of the sounds, songs, or recording is played with the speaker 44. In the embodiment depicted in
A motion sensor 64 is positioned in the interior space 20. The motion sensor 64 is electronically coupled to the central processing unit 50. The central processing unit 50 is configured to play at least one of the plurality of sounds, the plurality of songs, or the recording when the motion sensor 64 detects a movement of the housing 12.
As with the embodiment in
In use, the musical booster seat device 10 may be used as a booster seat or as a musical instrument or toy for a child or toddler. The child can sit on top of the musical booster seat device 10 while shaking, hitting, or tapping the device 10 to create music with the plurality of instruments 28. The child can play along with their favorite sounds, songs, or recordings that are played through the speaker 44 using the sound emitter 46.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
