PORTABLE BABY CHANGING STATION FOR USE IN AUTOMOBILES

Abstract

A portable baby changing station fabricated from a soft, flexible material such as vinyl or nylon for changing diapers in automobiles. It is primarily designed to be used in the hatch back section of an SUV, minivan or station wagon. However, it can also be used in a sedan. When fully extended, it provides a soft surface to rest a baby while changing a diaper. In this mode, the head end is affixed to the rear portion of the back seat by a fastener such as Velcro. One or more netted pockets are positioned at the head end to hold diapers and changing supplies. Once the baby has a new diaper, the changing station folds up into a compact shape while remaining fastened to the back seat. It is held in the closed position by fasteners such as Velcro or snaps. It is always affixed to the automobile, and always ready to unfold. In a sedan, when not in use, the changing station is compact enough to be placed in the rear seat pocket or under a seat. A parent can leave the house without a diaper bag, knowing that if a baby needs a change, the supplies are already in the car.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

Baby changing stations are in common use in the United States and in many other countries. Their primary objective is to provide a surface upon which a baby can rest, said surface being situated at a convenient position to facilitate changing the baby's diaper. Most stations are usually located in home nurseries and in public restrooms. Their primary objective is to place the baby resting surface at a convenient height. The surface may or may not have a soft pad or mattress upon which the baby can rest. However, the changing stations described above, while they can be mobile, are not portable. Examples of restroom or wall-mounted changing stations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,754,999, 6,049,928, 6,055,688, and 6,859,966 all issued to Helmsderfer, U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,737 issued to Henninge, U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,803 issued to Sauerbrei, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,155 issued to Fernandez. In addition, they were disclosed in US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004/0078859 A1, and 2005/0138735 A1, both by Helmsderfer. U.S. Design Pat. No. D302,088 issued to Burt as well as D378,966 and D391,794 both issued to Helmsderfer show the appearance of such wall-mounted stations.

Portable baby changing stations have also been disclosed in US patent literature. When people travel with babies, it is generally undesirable to rest a baby on a desk, table, or floor or directly on an automobile seat in order to change a diaper. It is certainly unacceptable to rest the baby on the ground. An example of a portable baby changing station for general use while traveling is U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,277 issued to Lim. Here, Lim discloses a nappy or diaper changing bag is made from a soft quilted plastic material and comprises two closable storage compartments connected at their undersides by a mat on which the baby being changed is placed. It is carried as a tote bag, and it unfolds to create the changing station. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,726 issued to Weber, the inventor disclosed a soft baby changing station having utility pockets that is used as a hammock between two rows of seats in an automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,856 issued to Furnback discloses a rigid automobile changing station. U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,441 issued to Mahmood, et.al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,821 issued to Worrell, et.al. both disclose the same rigid changing station designed to be used in a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,838 issued to Johnson discloses a cushion for use with sloped vehicle seats, to provide a substantially level and horizontal surface upon which to change infant's diapers.

THE PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

Parents travel with infants on a daily basis both on short and long trips. They take their children to the supermarket, the mall, the beauty salon, etc. The automobile stations noted above need to be mounted in the automobile, and are not very convenient to use. The nappy changing station of Lim that converts to a tote bag is considerably more convenient, but is still bulky. An active mother who takes her baby with her on all her daily errands, she must be prepared to change diapers often. The safest, cleanest, easiest place for her to change the diaper is in the comfort of her car. A baby changing station needs to be soft and flexible and should be able to be rolled for storage and unrolled for changing diapers. The changing station should be able to be placed on an automobile seat or on the rear inside surface of a hatchback or SUV. It should also have pockets for diapers, wipes, baby ointments, etc. However, it should be able to be affixed to the car so that a parent can leave the house without a diaper bag, knowing that if the baby needs a change, the supplies are already in the car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Present Invention is a soft flexible mat with pockets that can be unrolled for changing a baby's diaper and can be rolled for convenient storage. Once rolled, it has a fastening element that will retain the rolled condition. The fastening element may be, but is not limited to, fabric hook-and-loop fasteners such as Velcro. Another fastening element can affix the changing station to a hatch back portion of an SUV, minivan, or station wagon. Yet another fastening element can affix the changing station to a convenient handle within the vehicle for storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the baby changing station.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the baby changing station.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the baby changing station.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the front of the baby changing station mostly unfolded.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the front of the baby changing station partially folded.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the front of the baby changing station fully folded.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the rear of the baby changing station fully folded.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the closed fully folded baby changing station attached to the rear seat of a station wagon or hatchback automobile.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the unfolded baby changing station attached to the rear seat of a station wagon or hatchback automobile.

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of the unfolded baby changing station attached to the side of the rear compartment of a station wagon or hatchback automobile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 show the baby changing station 10 of the Present Invention in the open position which allows the baby to be changed. FIGS. 6 and 7 are top and bottom plan views, while FIG. 8 is an elevation illustrating the fastening element 40 which is shown as Velcro material. The changing station 10 is constructed from a soft flexible material 20 such as vinyl or nylon. Fastening element 30 is a strip of Velcro loop material (stiff side) while fastening element 40 is a strip of Velcro hook material (softer side). When folded along the two fold lines 50, the changing station folds into the compact form shown in the isometric views of FIGS. 11 and 12. Shown in FIG. 9 is a fastening flap 25 that holds the device in the folded position. The fastening flap 25 may comprise strips of hook-and-loop fastening fabrics, 30 and 40, but is not limited this type of fastening. For example, a snap may be used to maintain the device in its folded position. FIGS. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are isometric views of the baby changing station. FIG. 9 shows the changing station in the open position ready to facilitate changing the baby's diaper, as it would be used when attached to a vertical member in the rear of a station wagon or hatchback automobile. The accessories are mounted vertically, while the baby is placed on the horizontal portion. FIG. 10 shows the device when partially folded. FIG. 11 shows the front of the device when fully folded, while FIG. 12 shows the rear of the device when fully folded. In FIG. 12, note the two hook-and-loop strips that may be used to attach the device to a seat or vertical member in the rear of the automobile. Referring to FIG. 6, a single pocket 60 is shown. However, as shown in FIG. 9, multiple pockets 60 may be placed in convenient positions on the device. The pocket 60 is also shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 to contain a diaper 70. Note that the fastening flap may grasp a handle on the rear seat of the vehicle as an alternate means of attaching the device to the rear seat. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the device attached to the back of the rear seat of the automobile. FIG. 15 shows the device attached to the side of the rear compartment of the automobile. Typical dimensions of the device will be between 3 and 3½ feet long by between 1 foot to 1¼ feet wide. It will have netted nylon pockets 60 and a Velcro closure. There will be three pockets. Two pockets will be six-inches each, and the third pocket will be two-inches. It will also have a double-sided Velcro tab to keep the device fastened to the automobile.

The baby changing station 10 can be affixed to the hatchback portion of an SUV, minivan, or station wagon using double-sided Velcro or some other detachable fastener. Once attached to the hatch, the device may be unfastened and unfolded to be used for changing. The baby can then be placed on the unfolded top surface 20, and the pockets 60 will be accessible to retrieve a diaper 70, a wipe, or ointment. Once done, the parent can wipe the changing station clean, fold it up, and leave it attached to the car for next time.

While the design is best suited for an automobile with a hatch such as an SUV, station wagon, cross-over vehicle, etc., it can also be used in a sedan. The changing station can be stored in the rear seat pocket and laid out on the back seat or on the front passenger seat (if the front seat is a couch rather than a pair of bucket seats) for diaper changing. Another option would be to unfold the baby changing station on the floor of the back seat.

Claims

1. A portable device for changing the diaper of a baby in an automobile or other vehicle, said device comprising: a) a surface of substantially rectangular shape having a length and a width of dimensions larger than required to accommodate a baby resting thereon, and having two substantially parallel edges along the length and two substantially parallel edges along the width, wherein said surface is fabricated from a soft, flexible material, and wherein said surface further comprises at least one fold line forming a transversal to the length edges;b) at least one first fastener comprising two parts that fit together such that when the surface is folded along the at least one fold line into a folded position, and the two parts of the at least one first fastener are engaged, the surface is neither exposed nor visible, and the folded position is retained; and,c) at least one second fastener comprising two parts that fit together wherein one part of the at least one second fastener is permanently affixed to the device and the at least one second fastener is affixed to a component of the automobile or other vehicle, such that when the two parts of the at least one second fastener are engaged, the device is affixed to the component of the automobile or other vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one fold line is substantially perpendicular to the length edges.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the at least one fold line comprises two fold lines.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein one part of the at least one first fastener is fabricated as a fabric having hooks and the second part of the at least one first fastener is fabricated as a fabric having loops, such that when the two parts are engaged, the hooks engage the loops so that the two parts are affixed to each other, but also such that the two parts can be separated by a force that disengages the hooks from the loops.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein one part of the at least one second fastener is fabricated as a fabric having hooks and the second part of the at least one second fastener is fabricated as a fabric having loops, such that when the two parts are engaged, the hooks engage the loops so that the two parts are affixed to each other, but also such that the two parts can be separated by a force that disengages the hooks from the loops.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said device may remain affixed to the component of the automobile or other vehicle either in the folded position or in an unfolded position.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one pocket located on the surface at a width edge that may hold diapers or changing supplies.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the at least one pocket is a plurality of pockets.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the plurality of pockets are all located on the surface at the same width edge.