Repositionable Infant Support Structures

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a child support device and, in particular, to a repositionable infant seat that is selectively mountable on a support base, but repositionable both on and off the support base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Child receiving seats are often used to soothe a restless child. For example, bouncers and swings provide a gentle rocking motion to the seat, comforting an infant positioned therein. Similarly, infant gliders include a seat that moves back and forth along a support base to provide a continuous, oscillating motion that comforts a child positioned in the seat. In order to heighten the soothing experience, some gliders, such as the child seat provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,118 (Bapst et al.), the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, now include a seat that is capable of multiple orientations with respect to its support base. Consequently, a child can face multiple directions when the support base moves the seat back and forth in order to experience different gliding motions (i.e. side-to-side and head-to-toe motion).

While the aforementioned configuration increases the soothing options that a glider can provide, it does not alter the type of soothing motion provided by such an infant seat. Thus, some glider seats have introduced detachable or removable seats, such that an infant may experience gliding in a first configuration and a second motion, such as bouncing, in a second configuration. However, many of these detachable or removable solutions only provide unidirectional movement—the seat is only capable of being positioned in one direction with respect to the direction of seat movement—in at least one of the configurations (i.e. when the seat is mounted to a support base or when the seat is positioned directly on a support surface). Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an infant support structure with a seat that is detachable from a support base and capable of multiple orientations whether attached or detached to the support base, such that a child can face multiple directions during motion of the seat on the support base or directly on a support surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a repositionable infant support structure and, more specifically, to an infant seat with supports that is removably mountable on a support base and capable of being rotated with respect to its supports whether or not it is mounted on the support base. According to at least one exemplary embodiment, an infant support structure according to the present invention includes a support base to support the infant support structure on a support surface and a seat assembly. The seat assembly includes a child receiving portion and a ground engaging assembly configured to selectively engage the support surface. The child receiving portion is rotatably coupled to the ground engaging assembly and the ground engaging assembly is removably and rotatably coupleable to the support base, such that the seat is repositionable when coupled to or decoupled from the support base.

According to another exemplary embodiment, an infant support structure according to the present embodiment includes a support base to support the infant support structure on a support surface and a seat assembly. The support base includes a housing, a carriage operable to move relative to the housing, and a drive assembly to drive the carriage along a predetermined path such that the carriage moves in an oscillatory motion with respect to the support base. The seat assembly is adapted to be removably attached to the carriage and is adapted undergo a first oscillatory motion when attached to the carriage and is adapted to undergo a second oscillatory motion when the seat assembly is detached from the carriage and engaged with the support surface. The seat assembly includes a child receiving portion configured to be repositioned when undergoing the first oscillatory motion or the second oscillatory motion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a repositionable infant support structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing a seat without a cover mounted on a support base in a head-to-toe orientation.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the seat of the infant support structure shown in FIG. 1 removed from the support base. The seat includes a child receiving portion, a mounting, and legs.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a seat of a repositionable infant support structure including a cover, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the child receiving portion of the seat shown FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the legs and mounting portion of the seat shown FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate top, side sectional, and bottom perspective views, respectively, of at least a portion of the bottom portion of the child receiving portion of the seat shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 9-10 illustrate a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view, respectively, of at least a portion of the legs of the seat of FIG. 2, showing portions of a hub assembly included on the seat.

FIG. 11 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the legs and mounting portion of the seat of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 illustrates a sectional, side perspective view of the seat shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 12A illustrates a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a mounting portion for a seat of the infant support structure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of the support base of the infant support structure shown in FIG. 1, with the seat removed from the support base.

FIG. 13A illustrates a top perspective view of a portion of another exemplary embodiment of a support base for the infant support structure shown in FIG. 1, with the seat removed from the support base.

FIG. 14 illustrates a side, sectional perspective view of the support base shown FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 illustrates a top perspective view of the support base of FIG. 13 with portions of the support base removed to show a carriage included therein.

FIG. 16 illustrates a sectional, side perspective view of infant support structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 17 illustrates a bottom view of the infant support structure shown in FIG. 1, showing the motor-driven, oscillating glider carriage.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate close-up views of the glider carriage of FIG. 17, showing the driving mechanism operable to move the carriage from a first carriage position to a second carriage position.

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate schematic diagrams of the electronics assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates the infant support structure of FIG. 1 in various configurations.

Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a repositionable infant support structure is disclosed. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the repositionable infant support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the infant support structure 10 includes seat 100 and a support base 200. The seat 100 comprises a structure operable to either support an infant above the support base 200 or on a support surface. In particular, the seat 100 includes a child receiving portion 105, a ground engaging assembly or portion 400, and a mounting assembly 500. The mounting assembly 500, which may alternately be referred to as the mounting portion 500 or more simply as mounting 500, is configured to selectively mount the child receiving portion 105 on a carriage 300 that is movably enclosed within support base 200 such that any movement, such as gliding motion, imparted to the carriage 300 is transferred to the seat 100.

Now referring to FIG. 2, the seat 100 is shown removed from the support base 200 for clarity. Generally, and as seen in FIG. 2, the child receiving portion 105 comprises a frame 110 configured to support a seat or soft goods material for receiving a child (see e.g., FIG. 3). The ground engaging assembly 400, which may alternately be referred to as the leg portion 400 or more simply as legs 400, is generally configured to movably support the seat 100 on a support surface when the seat 100 is placed thereon subsequent to being removed or detached from the support base 200.

In this particular embodiment, the seat 100 is substantially configured as a rocker when removed from the support base 200. Thus, the child receiving portion 105 is disposed substantially above two rocker rails, first rail 408 and second rail 418, such that a child disposed within portion 105 can be rocked back and forth on the rails 408, 418. In other embodiments child receiving portion 105 could be configured as any desirable infant support structure. However, regardless of the configuration, the legs may 400 extend beneath the mounting 500 so that the mounting 500 is disposed at a distance above a support surface when the legs 400 are disposed thereon and the legs 400 can move on or with respect to a support surface without interference if desired.

Turning now to FIG. 3, another exemplary embodiment of a seat 100 which includes a soft goods material 102 draped over the child receiving portion 105 is shown. As mentioned, in some embodiments, the child receiving portion 105 may include soft goods material 102 draped over a frame 110. The frame 110 may be formed from generally rigid material including, but not limited to, metal and plastic. The soft goods material 102 (e.g., a soft fabric formed from natural or synthetic materials) is typically draped over the sections of the frame 110 to provide a seating region capable of supporting an infant in a seated and/or a supine position. The soft goods material 102 may be designed to fit securely and snugly onto the sections of the frame 110. The soft goods material 102, moreover, may be removable and washable.

In FIG. 4, the child receiving portion 105 of the present invention is shown without a soft goods covering and with the remaining parts or portions of seat 100, such as mounting 500, removed therefrom for clarity. As can be seen in this figure, the child receiving portion 105 comprises a frame 110 that includes an upper section 120 and a lower section 160. The upper frame section 120 may include a first U-shaped bar 126 and a second U-shaped bar 128 that each extend from a first or front end 122 to a second or rear end 124. The first and second bars 126, 128 may be coupled to each other and to the lower frame section 160 at the first and second ends 122, 124. In particular, the first and second bars 126, 128 may be coupled to at least one connecting rod 168 included in the lower section 160 at the first and second ends 122, 124.

Each connecting rod 168 also extends from the front end 122 to the rear end 124, but is disposed substantially beneath the U-shaped bars 126, 128. In this particular embodiment, the at least one connecting rod 168 includes two arcuate rods. Thus, the at least one connecting rod 168 and U-shaped bars 126, 128 collectively form the skeleton of a seat that a material, such as soft goods 102, can be draped over to form a comfortable seat for a child. Furthermore, and as is described in detail below, each of the at least one connecting rods 168 may be movably mounted to or captured within a portion of the legs 400 of seat 100 to allow the child receiving portion 105 to be supported above the legs 400 and/or recline with respect to the legs 400.

In some embodiments, one or both of the bars 126, 128 may further comprise a slight downward bend proximate the first and second ends 122, 124 (i.e., proximate the top ends of the sideways “U's”). That is, the portions proximate the first and second ends 122, 124 may be canted (bent) slightly downward (toward the support base 200 and/or supporting surface) at any desirable angle, such as an angle of approximately 30° with respect to the side portions of the tube (i.e. the bottom of the “U”). This configuration provides a deeper seat pocket (created by the soft goods 102 on frame 110) when compared to conventional child seats (without the canted frame sections), thereby providing a more comfortable resting place for a child. Additional details regarding the canting of the child seat are provided in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004-0217643 (Piwko et al.), the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, while the frame 110 is preferably shaped to receive a soft goods seat, in other embodiments, the at least one connecting rod 168 may be configured to receive any desirable seat or provide a seat itself, if desired.

Still referring to FIG. 4, in this particular embodiment, the lower section 160 also includes a first coupler 162 and a second coupler 164 which couple the connecting rods 168 of the lower frame section 160 to the upper frame section 120. In some embodiments, the couplers 162, 164 may simply serve to ensure that the lower frame section 160 remains coupled to the upper frame section 120. However, in other embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the couplers 162, 164 may receive end portions of the U-shaped bars 126, 128 within receivers 163 and 165, respectively (see FIG. 6) and the couplers 162, 164 may receive end portions of the connecting rods 168 within receivers 161 and 167, respectively (see FIG. 6). Thus, the U-shaped bars 126, 128 and connecting rods 168 are coupled together via the couplers 162, 164 in addition to or in lieu of being coupled directly together. Furthermore, the couplers 162, 164 may provide a surface or connection point for accessories, such as a vibration unit 190 (see FIGS. 2 and 6), to be coupled to or mounted on the seat 100.

As can also be seen in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the child receiving portion 150 also includes handles, such as handles 130 and 140, and a toy bar 150. The handles 130, 140 may allow a parent to more easily lift or grasp the seat 100 when moving the seat 100 to a new location or orientation. The handles 130, 140 may also provide mounts 132, 142, respectively, which allow end portions of the toy bar 150 to be received therein. In the depicted embodiment, handle 130 is mounted on a first side of the child receiving portion 105, handle 140 is mounted on a second, opposite side of the child receiving portion 105, and each handle 130, 140 includes a mount 132, 142 with an aperture configured to secure a spring-biased tab included on each end of toy bar 150 therein. Thus, the toy bar 150 can be mounted so that it extends over the child receiving portion 105 and a child seated therein may access any toys hanging therefrom.

However, in other embodiments, the handles 130, 140 and/or toy bar 150 may be secured to frame 110 in any desirable manner (clips, friction fit, fasteners, etc). In fact, in some embodiments, such as those embodiments where the U-shaped tubes 126, 128 each include two pieces, the handles 130, 140 may comprise a portion of the frame 110, insofar as each of the handles 130, 140 may couple the two pieces of the U-shaped tubes 126, 128 together. In other words, in some embodiments the upper frame section 120 may include four frame sections that are coupled together by handles 130, 140 and couplers 162, 164.

Now turning to FIG. 5, the legs 400 and mounting 500 are shown from a top perspective with the child receiving portion 105 removed for clarity. As can be seen, the legs 400 extend from a central hub 402 and the mounting 500 is coupled to or formed in the underside of the central hub 402. Additionally, a recline mechanism 470 that may be configured to movably receive the lower section 160 of the child receiving portion 105 may be coupled to the top side of the hub 402. The recline mechanism 470 includes a cover 472 that is mounted on a pedestal 474 and at least one conduit 478 is formed laterally between the cover 472 and pedestal 474, such that each conduit 478 can receive one of the at least one connecting rods 168 (see FIGS. 6-8). In order to couple the cover 472 to the pedestal 474, the cover 472 may include apertures 480 configured to receive any desirable fasteners.

Preferably, the recline mechanism 470, which may be alternatively referred to as an upper hub 470 or upper hub portion 470, is rotatably coupled to the hub 402, as is described in further detail below. More specifically, in some embodiments, the apertures 480 may extend through the pedestal 474 in order to fixedly couple the pedestal 474 and cover 472 to a collar 484 (see FIGS. 7-8) which rotatably couples the recline mechanism 470 to the hub 402. However, in some of these embodiments, pedestal 474 and cover 472 may be formed integrally and the apertures 480 may simply allow this integrally formed piece to be coupled to the collar 484.

Still referring to FIG. 5, the legs 400 include a first extension member 406 and a second extension member 416 which each extend laterally from opposite sides of the central hub 402. At the distal end of each extension member 406, 416 is a respective rail 408, 418. In this particular embodiment, the rails 408, 418 are configured as rocker rails, however the term “rail” is not intended to be defined strictly as a rocker rail and may, in some embodiments, be any desirable ground engaging element, such as a bouncer leg or stationary leg. In some embodiments, the extension members 406, 416 and, thus, the rails 408, 418 are coupled to a collar or ring-like structure which sits within or around the hub 402 in order to movably couple the extension members 406, 416 to the hub 402. However, in other embodiments, such as embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the extension members 406, 416 and, thus, the rails 408, 418, are fixedly coupled to the hub 402 and configured to move therewith. In contrast, and as mentioned above, the recline mechanism 470 may be rotatably coupled to the hub 402 in order to allow the child receiving portion 105 to rotate with respect to the legs 400 (including the extension members 406, 416 and rails 408, 418). Each of these connections is described in more detail below.

Now turning to FIG. 6, the recline mechanism 470 is shown with the cover 472 removed in order to show the internal components of the recline mechanism 470. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the connection rods 168 are movably received within two conduits 478 so that the child receiving portion 105 is selectively movable with respect to the legs 400. Consequently, in the depicted embodiment, the child receiving portion 105 may be tilted or reclined with respect to the legs 400. In other embodiments, the connection rods 168 are preferably movably received within two conduits 478 of the recline mechanism 470, however, each connection rod 168 may be secured in place within its respective conduit 478 via any desirable means or method. For example, in some embodiments the connection rods 168 may be fixedly secured within the conduits 478 and the recline mechanism 470 may simply serve to couple the child receiving portion 105 to the legs 400 (and, thus, may be more accurately referred to as the upper hub portion 470, as mentioned above).

In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 6, an engagement mechanism 490 configured to selectively secure child receiving portion 105 in desirable orientations with respect to the legs 400 positions is disposed between two connection rods 168. The engagement mechanism 490 is configured to selectively move or expand to an “engaging position” where the engagement mechanism 490 engages an interior portion of each connection rod 168 and pushes or otherwise moves the connection rods 168 until it is pressed against an outer portion of its respective conduit 478. Thus, each rod 168 may be frictionally secured between the engagement mechanism 490 and a portion of the conduit 478 when desired. In some embodiments, the engagement mechanism 490 is biased in this engaging position so that the rods 168 are only movable when the engagement mechanism 490 is actuated or otherwise moved away from this engaging position, but in other embodiments the engagement mechanism 490 may be biased to any desirable position.

In the inset included in FIG. 6, the components of the engagement mechanism 490 are shown in detail. As can be seen, the engagement mechanisms 490 includes a first engagement member 492 and a second engagement member 494 that are rotatably coupled together at a central point C. Each member 492, 494 extends from a first end 492A, 494A to a second end 492B, 494B and the members 492, 494 are coupled together at their first ends 492A, 494A and second ends 492B, 494B via biasing members 496A and 496B, respectively. In this particular embodiment, biasing members 496A, 496B are tension springs which are biased to keep the members 492, 494 in the engaging position, as seen in FIG. 6. The engagement mechanism 490 also includes an actuator 498 which is coupled to the first end 492A of the first member 492 and the second end 494B of the second member 494.

Due to the aforementioned configuration, when the actuator is moved in a first direction D1, first member 492 will begin to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction about point C and second member 494 will begin to rotate in a clockwise direction about point C, thereby causing the first ends 492A, 494A to move in a direction D3 and the second ends 492B, 494B to move in an opposite direction, D4. In other words, each end 492A, 492B, 494A, 494B will move inwards, thereby stretching the biasing members 496A, 496B from their rest or biased position and moving the engagement mechanism 490 out of its engaging position so that it is no longer engaged with any connection rods 168.

Once the engagement mechanism 490 is moved out the engaging position, a user may recline or move the child receiving portion 105 with respect to the recline mechanism 470 (and, thus, also with respect to the legs 400 and mounting 500). In this particular embodiment, once the actuator 498 is released, the biasing members 496A, 496B will contract, thereby causing the members 492, 494 to move back to the engaging position (i.e. the first ends 492A, 494A will now move in direction D4 and the second ends 492B, 494B will move in an opposite direction, D3) again locking or securing the connecting rods 168 in place within their respective conduits 478. However, in other embodiments, the engagement mechanism 490 may be configured in an opposite configuration, insofar as the engagement mechanism 490 may be biased away from the engaging position and only move to the engaging position to lock or secure the rods 168 in a desired position when actuated. Regardless, in some embodiments, the ends 492A, 492B, 494A, 494B may be made of or include a substance or material with a high coefficient of friction in order to ensure the connection rods 168 are held in place when contacted by ends 492A, 492B, 494A and 494B.

Still referring generally to FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the configuration of the recline mechanism 470, and in particular, the configuration of the engagement mechanism 490 allows for free movement of the connection rods 168 until the engagement mechanism 490 is moved back into its engaging position. Consequently, the child receiving portion 105 may be moved to any desired angle of inclination that is provided along the length of the connection rods 168. In other words, any portion of connection rods 168 may be secured within the recline mechanism 470 to secure the child receiving portion 105 at a desirable recline position. However, in other embodiments, such as those including other embodiments of engagement mechanism 490, the child receiving portion 105 may only be supported in a limited number of reclined positions. For example, in some embodiments, the engagement mechanism 490 may include at least one securing member (not shown) riveted to the connection rods 168 and configured to secure the child receiving portion 105 in one of two specific position (e.g., an upright position and a single recline position) when engaged with the cover 472 and pedestal 474 of the recline mechanism 470.

Now turning to FIGS. 7-8, a side perspective sectional view and a bottom perspective view of the recline mechanism 470 are shown, respectively. Collectively, these two figures show the collar 484 that is mounted to the recline mechanism/upper hub 470. As was briefly mentioned above, and as can be seen best in FIG. 7, the collar 484 extends beneath the pedestal 474 of the upper hub 470 and is configured to rotatably couple the upper hub 470 to hub 402. Thus, the collar 484 may essentially rotatably couple the child receiving portion 105 to the legs 400 (since the upper hub 470 may be fixedly coupled to the child receiving portion 105 and the hub 402 may be fixedly coupled to the legs 400). The collar 484 includes an exterior wall 485 which extends around an interior cavity 486. The inner cavity 486 is substantially vaulted, insofar as an inner surface 487 of wall 485 is stepped or sloped inwardly and upwardly to provide an inner wall 487 that extends from the bottom outer edge of collar 484 to a top, central portion of collar 484.

In this particular embodiment, the cavity 486 is substantially stepped with a substantially flat top. Furthermore, the top step of the inner surface 487 may also include sockets or apertures 488 configured to receive any desirable coupler. For example, in some embodiments, the apertures 488 may be configured to allow a screw to be inserted therethrough to couple a portion of hub 402 to collar 484. However, in other embodiments apertures 488 may be configured as a socket-like feature and be configured to engage or receive a protrusion included on hub 402. In this particular embodiment, the top of the stepped surface 487 includes four apertures 488 that are configured to receive a coupler and disposed radially equidistant about a circle substantially adjacent and concentric to the top of the dome.

Now turning to FIGS. 9-10, with continued reference to FIGS. 7-8, the hub 402, or at least portions thereof, is shown from a top and bottom perspective view, respectively. As can be seen in these figures, the hub 402 is the central, cylindrical portion of legs 400 and includes a central cavity 403 configured to receive the collar 484 of the recline mechanism 470. The central cavity 403 is formed within a peripheral wall 402A that is substantially annular such that cavity 403 is substantially cylindrical. However, within the cavity 403 is a dome 404, which extends upwardly from the bottom surface of the cavity 403 and is shaped substantially to conform to the inner cavity 485 of the collar 484. In other words, the central cavity 403 is shaped so that when the collar 484 is received therein, the exterior wall 485 of the collar 484 substantially abuts the peripheral wall 402A of the hub 402 while the dome 404 of the hub 402 substantially abuts the inner surface 487 of the collar 484. However, preferably, each of the aforementioned surfaces is substantially smooth such that the exterior wall 485 and inner surface 487 of the collar 484 may rotate or otherwise move on or with respect to the peripheral wall 402A and dome 404 of the hub 402.

Additionally, similar to how the inner surface 487 of the collar 484 has a flat top, the dome 404 of hub 402 also includes a flat top or top portion. However, in some embodiments, such as the present embodiment, the flat top of hub 402 may be an oculus (an opening at the top of the dome) and the flat top of dome 404 may be formed by a retainer 420 that includes a number of engagement portions 422 configured to either engage the apertures 488 included on the collar 484 or receive any couplers inserted through apertures 488. Preferably, the engagement portions 422 are arranged to match the number and location of the apertures 488. In some embodiments, the retainer 420 may be fixedly coupled to the hub 402, but preferably, the retainer 420 is rotatably coupled to the hub 402, such that the retainer 420 is secured within the hub 402 but rotatable therein. Regardless, once the collar 484 is inserted into or mounted onto the hub 402 and coupled to retainer 420, the features of these two parts may serve to: (1) prevent the child receiving portion 105 from unwantedly rotating with respect to the legs 400; and/or (2) align the child receiving portion 105 in certain orientations with respect to the legs 400.

First, regardless of how the retainer 420 is coupled to the hub 402 (i.e. fixedly or rotatably), the collar 484 and retainer 420 may prevent unwanted rotation of the child receiving portion 105. In the embodiments where the retainer 420 is rotatably coupled to the hub 402, the coupling between the retainer 420 and collar 484 (e.g., a coupling between or facilitated by engagement portions 422 and apertures 488) may fixedly couple the retainer 420 to the child receiving portion 105, such that the child receiving portion 105 and retainer 420 may rotate together with respect to the legs 400. In such an embodiment, the retainer 420 may be selectively securable to the hub 402 via a detent mechanism, such that the child receiving portion 105 may only rotate with respect to legs 400 in response to a specific actuation, as is described below in detail. Consequently, the coupling between the collar 484 and retainer 420 will prevent the child receiving portion from unwantedly rotating with respect to the legs 400.

Alternatively, in embodiments where the retainer 420 is fixedly secured within the hub 402, the apertures 488 of the collar 484 may be coupled, preferably removably, to the engagement portions 422 of the hub 402 to secure the child receiving portion 105 to the legs 400. Since, in these embodiments, the retainer 420 is fixedly secured to the legs 400 (via hub 402), coupling the collar 484 (which is coupled to the child receiving portion 105) to the retainer 420 may serve to prevent unwanted rotation of the child receiving portion 105. However, in still other embodiments, the child receiving portion 105 may be prevented from unwantedly rotating with respect to legs 400 in any desirable manner.

Second, the retainer 420 and collar 484 may align the child receiving portion 105 in certain orientations with respect to legs 400. Notably, regardless of whether the retainer 420 is rotatably or fixedly secured within hub 402, the child receiving portion 105 may be initially oriented on the retainer 420 by aligning the apertures 488 and engagement portions 422. Thus, the pattern of apertures 488 and engagement portions 422 may dictate the orientations that the child receiving portion 105 may be initially oriented in with respect to legs 400. Preferably, the apertures 488 and engagement portions 422 are arranged so that the child receiving portion 105 is initially mounted in a position that is either substantially perpendicular or parallel to the legs 400. In other words, the child receiving portion 105 is preferably initially mounted on the legs 400 in a head-to-toe or a side-to-side orientation. However, “head-to-toe” and “side-to-side” are not intended to limit the seat to facing one direction and, although not shown, the seat may face either direction when in either of these orientations. Specifically, preferably the child receiving portion 105 may be initially mounted on legs 400 at any ninety degree increment between zero and 360 degrees with respect to legs 400, in addition to the orientations shown in FIG. 21 (head-to-toe and side-to-side orientations).

In the particular embodiment depicted in FIGS. 7-10, the collar 484 includes four apertures 488 and the retainer 420 includes four engagement portions 422 arranged at ninety degree increments around a circle of the same radius. Consequently, the child receiving portion 105 can only be mounted in a head-to-toe or side-to-side configuration so that the child receiving portion 105 will rock or glide—depending on if the seat 100 is coupled or decoupled from the support base 200, respectively—head-to-toe or side-to-side (although a child disposed in the seat 100 may face four directions). In other embodiments, the engagement portions 422 and apertures 488 may be arranged to allow the child receiving portion 105 to be initially aligned at any desirable angle with respect to the legs 400 (as well as the support base 200) in order to provide motion, such as oscillating motion or stationary support, in any desirable orientation.

Once the collar 484 is initially mounted on or secured to the retainer 420, the child receiving portions 105 may be moved to certain, desired orientations in various manners, depending at least upon how the retainer 420 is secured within the hub 420. For example, in the embodiments where the retainer 420 is fixedly secured within the hub 402, a parent may move the child receiving portion 105 to a different orientation with respect to the legs 400 (as compared to its initial orientation) by lifting the child receiving portion 105 off of the legs 400 (thereby decoupling apertures 488 and engagement portions 422), rotating the child receiving portion 105 to a desirable position, such as a position ninety degrees offset in either direction, and re-mounting the child receiving portion 105 on the legs 400. Consequently, in such embodiments, the pattern of apertures 488 and engagement portions 422 may be the only feature which impacts the alignment or orientation of the child receiving portion 105.

However, preferred embodiments include a retainer 420 rotatably mounted within hub 402 and selectively securable to the hub 402 via a detent mechanism. In these embodiments, the detent mechanism may be configured to secure the retainer 420 in certain positions or orientations with respect to the legs 400. Consequently, the child receiving portion 105 may only be securely aligned in certain orientations (since the collar 484 is fixedly secured to the retainer 420 in such embodiments, for example via couplers extending between apertures 488 and engagement portions 422). In these embodiments, the retainer 420 is preferably free to rotate with respect to the hub 402 when the retainer 420 is not secured by the detent mechanism. However, in some of these embodiments, the retainer 420 may also include tabs 424 that extend beyond the opening and rest on the lip 402C. The tabs 424 may limit the rotation of the retainer 420 to a certain range of rotation.

FIG. 10 illustrates one exemplary embodiment with a rotatable retainer 420 that is free to rotate through a range of rotation with respect to hub 402 (between two tabs 424) and configured to be secured to the hub 402 via a detent mechanism 430. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the retainer 420 extends through the oculus and across a lower surface 402B of the hub 402 that is substantially open except for a lip 402C extending around the exterior edge of the lower surface 402B (i.e. the dome 404 may be substantially hollow, such that the area thereunder is open). Additionally, the retainer 420 may rotate on or within the lip 402C so that the retainer 420 may rotate within the hub 402. However, in this particular embodiment, the retainer 420 also includes indentations with raised lateral edges (not shown) that are disposed adjacent to lip 402C and configured to be received and selectively secured by a detent mechanism 430.

The detent mechanism 430 is shown from a top view in the inset of FIG. 10. As shown, the detent mechanism 430 includes a detent member 432 and a push rod 434 that is coupled to a biasing member 436. In this embodiment, the detent member 432 is also mounted on two rails 438 which guide the detent member 432 between a biased position (shown in FIG. 10) and an unbiased position (not shown). However, in other embodiments, the detent mechanism may include any desirable parts and be configured in any desirable manner.

In operation, when an indentation is rotated into contact with detent mechanism 430, a first raised lateral edge of the indentation will move the detent member 432 out of its unbiased position in direction D5 as it contacts and moves across a first angled surface, a flat surface, and a second angled surface of the detent member 432 (in either direction). The detent member 432 includes angled surfaces to allow the raised lateral edges of the indentations to rotate into and traverse the detent member 432 in one, fluid motion. Once the first raised lateral edge of the indentation has moved beyond the detent member 432, the biasing member 436 will drive the push rod 434 in direction D6 which will cause the detent member 432 to move in direction D6 back to its unbiased position, but between the raised, lateral edges of the indentation, thereby securing the retainer 420 in a specific orientation. Thus, as mentioned above, in those implementations where the retainer 420 is rotatably mounted within hub 402, the retainer 420 may ensure that the child receiving portion 105 is secured in certain, desired orientations.

After the child receiving portion 105 has been secured in a specific orientation (e.g., via securing the retainer 420 in a certain position with the detent mechanism 430), a parent must exert a sufficient rotational force on the retainer 420, perhaps via the child receiving portion 105, to allow one of the lateral edges of the indentation to overcome the biasing force of biasing member 436 and disengage the indentation from the detent mechanism 430. Specifically, either the first lateral edge must be moved in an opposite direction to the direction it was initially moved in (e.g., across the second angled surface, the flat surface, and then the first angled surface of the detent member 432) or the second lateral edge must be moved in the same direction that the first lateral edge was initially moved in (e.g., across the first angled surface, the flat surface, and then the second angled surface of the detent member 432) to disengage the indentation from the detent mechanism 430.

Regardless, of which direction the retainer is rotated to be disengaged from the detent mechanism 430, while moving across the detent member 432, the lateral edge engaging the detent member 432 will push the detent member 432 back down in direction D5 until both lateral edges of the indentation can be rotated past the detent mechanism 430. Once both lateral edges are moved beyond the detent member 432 (in either direction), the retainer 420 may rotate freely until another indentation (or tab 424 for those embodiments which include tabs 424) rotates into contact with the detent mechanism 430.

Preferably, when an indentation is engaged with the detent mechanism 430, the amount of friction between the indentation and the detent member 432 is sufficient to maintain the retainer 420 in its position until a desirable amount of rotational force is applied to the retainer, perhaps via a force imparted on the child receiving portion 105 by a parent. In some embodiments, the friction between the indentation and the detent mechanism 430 may be increased by the weight of a child disposed in seat 100. Thus, in different embodiments, different amounts of rotational force may be required to cause the indentations to disengage with detent mechanism 430 in the manner described above. Regardless, preferably, the rotational force required to rotate the seat is greater than any forces that may be created by an infant moving within the seat 100 to prevent the child receiving portion 105 from unwantedly rotating with respect to the legs 400.

Now turning to FIGS. 11-12A, two exemplary embodiments of a mounting portion 500 are shown. In FIGS. 11-12 a first embodiment is shown from a bottom and a side, sectional perspective, respectively, and in FIG. 12A a second embodiment is shown from a bottom perspective. As shown, mounting portion 500 is coupled to the underside of the legs 400, and preferably, fixedly coupled thereto. Thus, when the mounting portion 500 is mounted on a support base 200, the orientation of the legs 400 may depend on the orientation that the mounting portion 500 is coupled to the support base 200 in. Thus, in order to ensure that the legs 400 are mounted on a support base 200 in a specific orientation, perhaps to ensure that the legs 400 do not interfere with any motion provided to the seat 100 by the support base 200, some embodiments of mounting portion 500 may include alignment indicators or features to help align the mounting portion 500 with the support base 200 in specific orientations.

As seen in FIGS. 11-12A, the mounting portion 500 may include a mount, such as mount 530 or 530′, which are two exemplary embodiments of a mount, and a flange 532532′ that may extend from opposite sides of the mount 530, 530′, respectively, and couple the mount 530, 530′ to the legs 400 in any desirable manner. Preferably, the flange 532, 532′ also covers any exposed portions of the legs 400 and ensures that any exposed portions of legs 400, such as retainer 420, are enclosed between the flange 532. 532′ and hub 402. However, in other embodiments, the mount 530, 530′ may be coupled directly to legs 400 and cover any exposed portions of legs 400, if desired. In such embodiments the mount 530, 530′ is preferably coupled to the legs 400 without any fasteners or couplers extending interiorly of an interior wall 530A, 530A′ of the mount 530, 530′ in order to ensure that the interior wall 530A, 530A′ can stably engage a carriage 300 of a support base 200.

Still referring to FIGS. 11-12A, while two different embodiments—mount 530 and mount 530′ are shown, each mount 530, 530′ includes an exterior wall 530B, 530B′ and an interior wall 530A, 530A′ which extends around an interior cavity 536, 536′, similar to collar 484. Also similar to collar 484, the inner cavity 536, 536′of each mount 530, 530′ is substantially vaulted, such that each interior wall 530A, 530A′is stepped or sloped inwardly and upwardly to provide an interior wall 530A, 530A′ that extends from the bottom outer edge of its respective mount 530, 530′ to a top, central portion 533 of the interior wall 530A, 530A′. However, in contrast with collar 484, the top 533 of each interior wall 530A, 530A′ may include at least one mounting pin 534, 534′ (instead of a socket 488) that is configured to engage the carriage 300 of support base 200.

In the particular embodiments shown in FIGS. 11-12A, the interior wall 530A, 530A′ is substantially dome-shaped and a single mounting pin 534, 534′ extends downwardly from the top, central portion 533 thereof. As can be seen, in some embodiments, such as mount 530 (i.e. FIGS. 11-12), the mount may include a mounting pin 534 that is a substantially cuboid protrusion, but in other embodiments, such as mount 530′ (i.e. FIG. 12A) the mount may include a mounting pin 534′ that is a tapered, cylindrical, or frusto-conical protrusion. However, in still other embodiments, the mounting pin may be shaped as desired. Additionally, in the particular embodiments shown in FIGS. 11-12, the top 533 of the interior wall 530A may include a slight mound or stand which allows the mounting pin to extend substantially further into the interior cavity 536, as shown best in FIG. 12. Such a feature may be incorporated into any desirable mount if desired.

Now referring to FIGS. 13, 13A, and 14, perspective, close-up, and sectional views are shown, respectively, of at least two embodiments of a support base 200, with the seat 100 removed for clarity. As shown, the support base 200 includes a structure operable to support the seat portion 100 above a supporting surface 205. In the embodiments shown, the support base 200 includes a housing 210 and a carriage or platform 300 adapted to move with respect to the housing 210. The housing 210 may be of any size and/or shape; however, by way of example only, the housing 210 is illustrated herein as having a substantially rectangular shape with a top surface 220 and four generally vertical sidewalls—a front wall 230A, a rear wall 230B, a first side wall 230C, and a second side wall 230D. The support base 200 also includes front legs 202 and rear legs 204 to increase the footprint of the support base 200, thereby increasing the stability of the support base 200 during movement of a seat 100. Additionally, in this embodiment, a switch plate 250, housing the various operational switches 410, 420, 430, 440 (see FIG. 15), is incorporated into the front wall 230A of the housing 210. In some embodiments, the front legs 202 may also include various switches or foot pedals, such as foot pedal switch 206. Each of the aforementioned switches may comprise, but is not limited to, a mechanical switch (pressure sensitive, contact, push, pivot, and slide), an electrical switch, a magnetic switch, an optical switch, etc. The number of switches is not limited that that which is illustrated herein.

Still referring to FIGS. 13, 13A, and 14, carriage 300, which is configured to removably receive or be removably coupled to the seat 100, is movably coupled to the housing 210. Specifically, the seat 100 is mountable on a carrier or stand 310, 310′ (as is described in more detail below) that extends from an upper surface 304 (see FIG. 15) of a plate 302 of the carriage 300 and through an opening 240 formed in the top surface 220 of the housing 210. The opening 240 defines the general limits through which the seat 100 may travel with respect to the housing 210 (i.e., the opening defines a predetermined travel path of the seat 100).

As indicated above, the carriage 300 is adapted to move with respect to the housing 210 (and thus the supporting surface 205). FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the support base 200 with the housing 210 partially removed to show how this may be carried be out. As shown, in this embodiment, the housing 210 contains a first track 250A and a second track 250B spaced in parallel relation and extending substantially from the front wall 230A to the rear wall 230B. The carriage 300, moreover, includes a first pair of wheels 320 and a second pair of wheels 330. The first pair of wheels 320 is adapted to move (roll) along the first track 250A; similarly, the second pair of wheels 330 is adapted to move (roll) along the second track 250B. The carriage 300 is driven along the tracks via a drive assembly, an example of which will be described in detail below.

The features which enable the seat 100 to be mounted on the carriage 300 are best seen in FIGS. 13A, 14, and 15. As shown, the carriage 300 includes a plate 302 configured to both rotatably receive a first set of wheels 320 and a second set of wheels 330 and support a carrier, such as carrier 310 or 310′, that extends upwards from the top 304 of plate 302. Each carrier 310, 310′ includes a boss 312, 312′ and a receiver 314, 314′ that extends upwards from a top surface 313, 313′ of the boss 312, 312′, respectively. Each receiver 314, 314′ includes an aperture 316, 316′ and collectively, the boss 312, 312′, receiver 314, 314′, and aperture 316, 316′ of each mount 310, 310′ are configured to receive the mounting 500. More specifically, and as seen in FIGS. 12A and 16, each receiver 314, 314′ is configured to receive the inner wall 530A, 530A′ of mount 530, 530′, each aperture 316, 316′ is configured to receive a mounting pin 534, 534′, and the top surface 313, 313′ of each boss 312, 312′ is configured to support the bottom surface of the outer wall 530B, 530B′ of the mounting collar 530.

Generally, the carrier 310, 310′ may be any desirable shape and size which allows the outer surface of the receiver 314, 314′ to mate with the inner wall 530A, 530A′ the aperture 316, 316′ to mate with the mounting pin 534, 534′, and/or the bottom surface of outer wall 530B, 530B′ to mate with or rest upon the top surface 313, 313′ of boss 312, 312′ such that the mounting 500 is securely received by carrier 300. In other words, embodiments of the present invention may include any desirable receiver 310, 310′ configured to receive any desirable mount 530, 530′ in any desirable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the aperture 316, 316′ may or may or may not prevent the seat 100 from rotating with respect to the support base 200.

In the particular embodiments shown in FIGS. 11-12, 13, and 14-15, receiver 310 is configured to securely receive mount 530 and receiver 310′ is configured to securely receive mount 530′. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIGS. 14-15, the receiver 314 is substantially dome-shaped and configured to mate with the dome-shaped inner wall 530A of mount 530, the top surface 313 of boss 312 extends, at least slightly, radially beyond the outer surface of receiver 314 and is configured to mate with the outer wall 530B, and the aperture 316 is substantially cuboidal such that it is configured to receive the cuboidal mounting pin 534 of mount 530. Consequently, the carrier 310 may ensure that the mount 530 is securely received on the carrier 310, insofar as these features may prevent any movement of the seat 100 with respect to the support base 200 along a horizontal plane. Moreover, the seat 100 may also be prevented from rotating with respect to the support base 200 while mounted thereon due, at least in part, to the cuboid shapes of the aperture 316 and mounting pin 534.

By comparison, in the embodiment of FIG. 13A, the carrier 310′ is configured to receive the mount 530′ in a manner that prevents the seat 100 from moving laterally with respect to the base 200 when mounted thereon, but does not, at least initially, prevent rotational movement of seat 100 with respect to base 200. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 13A, the receiver 314′ is substantially dome-shaped and configured to mate with the dome-shaped inner wall 530A′ of mount 530′, the top surface 313′ of boss 312′ extends, at least slightly, radially beyond the outer surface of receiver 314′ and is configured to mate with the outer wall 530B′, and the aperture 316′ is substantially frusto-conical such that it is configured to receive the frusto-conical mounting pin 534′ of mount 530′. Since the mounting pin 534′ and the receiver 316′ are frusto-conical, these features may be able to rotate with respect to each other, thereby allowing the mount 530′ to rotate with respect to the carrier 310′, at least initially.

However, in embodiments where a receiver is not rotationally restricted or fixed by the aforementioned features, it still may be desirable to rotationally fix the receiver with respect to the mount. Accordingly, carrier 310′ may also include a pin 317 and at least one recess 315 and mount 530′ may include an opening (not shown) and a detent 535 that are configured to engage the pin 317 and a recess 315, respectively. The pin 317 and opening may be included in and on the aperture 316′ and mounting pin 534′, respectively, while the detent 535 and recesses 315 may be included between the inner and outer walls, 530A′, 530B′ and on the top surface 313′, respectively.

Due to their locations, the pin 317 and detent 535 may simply be aligned with and inserted into the opening and a recess 315, respectively to increase the stability of the connection between the mount 530′ and the carrier 310′. However, the detent 535 may also be configured to selectively move interiorly of the mount 530′ (while the pin 317 may remain stationary). Thus, if a sufficient rotational force is imparted on the mount 530′, the detent 535 may become dislodged from a recess 315 it is disposed in and move within the mount 530′ until it is rotated into engagement with another one of the at least one recesses 315. In other words, the detent may be biased to the position seen in FIG. 12A and may be forced into the mount 530′ as it is moved along an angled side of the recess 315 or the top surface 313′ of the boss 312′. Consequently, the carrier 310′ may securely receive the mount 530′ and due, at least in part to the detent 535, the seat 100 may be prevented or discouraged from rotating with respect to the support base 200 while mounted thereon. However, in some embodiments, the seat 100 may only be prevented from rotating with respect to support base 200 when the legs 400 are parallel to the support base. In other words, the seat may only include recesses 315 at positions which allow the legs 400 to be rotationally secured in a front-to-back orientation (facing either forwards or backwards), regardless of the orientation of the child receiving portion 105.

Preferably, in embodiments which include both detent 535 and detent mechanism 430, the detent 535 is stiffer, insofar as stiffer implies that detent 535 requires a larger rotational force than detent mechanism 430 in order to be actuated. Thus, if a force is imparted onto the child receiving portion 105, the child receiving portion 105 will rotate with respect to the legs 400 before the seat 100 (including the child receiving portion 150 and legs 400) rotates with respect to the support base 200. In some embodiments, the detent 535 may be stiffer by including recesses 315 with angled walls that have a greater angle than the angled surfaces of detent member 432.

Additionally, due to the configurations of the mounting 500 and carriage 300 the infant support structure 10 is configured for reorientation. Specifically, the seat 100 is adapted to be mounted on the support base 200 in at least a first seat-facing position or a second seat-facing position. In the particular embodiment shown here, the seat 100 may be oriented in four positions (i.e. facing forward (i.e. head-to-toe), right (side-to-side), backwards (i.e. toe-to-head) and left(i.e. side-to-side)). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A, these configurations are provided because four recesses 315 are provided at ninety degree intervals around the receiver 312′. In contrast, in the embodiment of FIGS. 11, 12, 13, and 14-15, these configurations are provided because both the mounting pin 534 and aperture 316 have a substantially cuboid shape.

In other embodiments, any desirable number of configurations may be provided in any desirable manner. For example, the mounting pin 534, 534′, receiver 314, 314′, and/or aperture 316, 316′ may be triangular, hexagonal, octagonal or any other desirable polygonal shape, such as a two-sided oblong shape (similar to an American football), and the amount of sides included on these features may dictate the number of possible orientations that the seat 100, or at least the legs 400, may be oriented in (i.e. mounted in) with respect to support base 200. However, while the aperture 316 and mounting pin 534 are preferably designed with the same amount of sides, in some embodiments the mounting pin 534 and aperture 316 may include a non-matching number of sides. In these embodiments, the number of available orientations may not be dictated by the number of sides included on these features, but instead by the number of mating positions available. Moreover, in still other embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A, the mounting pin 534′ and aperture 316′ may have a substantially circular cross section, such that the mounting pin 534′ may rotate freely within the aperture 316′ and any desirable feature may be used to orient the seat 100 with respect to the support base 200.

As an example of how the orientation of the child receiving portion 105 of the infant support structure 10 may be altered when desired, FIG. 21 provides front perspective views of the infant support structure 10 of FIG. 1 in various configurations. As shown, the child receiving portion 105 may be moved from a first seat-facing position 710, in which the seat 100 faces forward (e.g., a head-to-toe position facing toward the front wall 230A of the housing 210 as illustrated by configurations 730, 760, and 770 in FIG. 21), to a second seat-facing position 720, in which the seat faces sideways (e.g., toward second side wall 230D of the housing 210 as illustrated by configurations 740, 750, and 780 in FIG. 21) either by rotating the child receiving portion 105 with respect to the legs 400 or by rotating the entire seat 100 with respect to the support base 200. However, although the child receiving portion 105 is rotated approximately 90° about a generally vertical axis, from the first seat facing position 710 to the second seat facing position 720 the infant support structure 10 may be configured for additional seat-facing positions, as described above. For example, the child receiving portion 105 may also be rotatable to third and fourth seat facing positions (not shown) that are also head-to-toe (or toe-to-head) and side-to-side positions, respectively, by rotating the seat to face the opposite directions that it faces in the first and second seat-facing positions 710, 720.

Additionally, and still referring to FIG. 21, since the infant support structure 10 of the present invention provides a child receiving portion 105 that is rotatable with respect to the legs 400 and legs 400 that are rotatable with respect to the support base 200, the infant support structure 10 may be oriented in a wide variety of configurations. As an example, in embodiments where both the child receiving portion 105 and legs 200 may be secured in four different positions, the infant support structure 10 may provide twenty unique configurations (four seat facing positions for each of four legs positions when the seat 100 is mounted on the support base and four seat-facing positions when the seat 100 is removed from the support base). Although all of these configurations are not shown in FIG. 21, it is to be understood that any of the aforementioned configurations, or any other desirable configurations, may be provided.

When the child receiving portion 105 is mounted to support base 200 and positioned such that the child faces forward (or backwards) in a head-to-toe configuration (or toe-to-head configuration), such as in configurations 730 and 760, the child will experience a head-to-toe motion when the motor is activated. Alternatively, when the child receiving portion 105 is mounted to support base 200 and positioned such that the child faces sideways, such as in configurations 740, 750, the child will experience a side-to-side motion when the motor is activated. In other words, the drive assembly may be engaged to drive the seat 100 along a single travel path, regardless of the orientation of the seat 100. Thus, the present infant support structure 10 not only allows a parent to easily reposition a child for monitoring without rotating the entire infant support structure 10, but also allows a parent to reposition the child for comfortable soothing. Notably, while mounted to support base 200 only the position of the child receiving portion 105 (and not the position of the legs 400) impacts the motion that the child will experience.

In some embodiments, the seat 100 may be rotated to a new position by lifting the seat 100 off the carriage 300 until the mounting pin 534 is either removed from the aperture 316 or raised to a portion of aperture 316 where the mounting pin 534 is able to rotate in (such a portion may be available if either the mounting pin 534 or aperture 316 is tapered). Once the seat 100 is moved to such a position and rotated, the mounting 500 may be lowered back into engagement with the carriage 300 and the seat 100 will be secured in a new orientation. However, in those embodiments where the seat 100 has a certain number of configurations, if the mount 500 is not perfectly aligned with the carriage 300 when initially released thereon, gravitational forces acting on the seat may cause the seat to self-align to the nearest orientation. Alternatively, and preferably, the seat may simply be rotated to a new orientation by imparting a large enough rotational force on the seat 100 to disengage at least one of the detents 535 or detent mechanism 430 and allow the child receiving portion 105 to rotate with respect to the support base 200 and/or legs 400 (depending on if the seat 100 is mounted on the support base 200). At any point during this reorientation, the seat 100 may be reclined forwards or backwards as desired via the recline mechanism 470 described above.

Furthermore, in this particular embodiment, the seat 100 is simply reoriented manually, but in other embodiments, any desirable reorientation mechanism may be installed or implemented in order to reorient the seat about an axis generally perpendicular to the support surface 205. Additionally, in other embodiments, the seat 100 may be secured in specific orientations via any desirable mechanism. For example, the seat 100 may be secured via friction (as described above), or may be secured by a lock mechanism operable to secure the seat in any desired position (e.g., with the seat 100 facing the front, side, or back walls of the housing 210).

FIG. 17 is a bottom plan view of the support base 200 illustrated in FIG. 13. As mentioned, the support base 200 includes a drive assembly to drive the carriage along the tracks 250A, 250B. The drive assembly may include a motor 350 disposed proximate the center of the carriage 300. The motor 350 may comprise any motor operable to generate suitable motion of the carriage. By way of specific example the motor may comprise a normal magnet motor (RF-500TB motor, available from Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd., Troy, Mich. (www.mabuchi-motor.co.jp)). The motor 350 rotates a generally vertical shaft 360 coupled to a crank 370. The crank 370 has one end fixed to the shaft 360 and its other end pivotally connected to a rod 380 at point 385. The rod 380, in turn, is pivotally connected to the housing 210 along the inner surface of the rear wall 230B at point 390. In operation, the motor 350 rotates the shaft 360, causing a corresponding rotation in the crank 370 about the shaft.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are close-up views of the motor 350, showing the rotation of the crank 370 by the shaft 360. As the motor drives the crank 370 (indicated by arrow R in FIG. 18B), the crank applies a pushing/pulling force to the rod 380, causing the wheeled carriage 300 to be pushed and pulled along the tracks, i.e., the rod 380 pulls the carriage 300 toward the rear wall 230B or pushes the carriage away from the rear wall (and toward the front wall 230A). In this manner, the carriage 300 is driven such that it rolls along the tracks 250A, 250B of the housing 210 in a back-and-forth, gliding motion. As explained above, the seat 100 connects to the carriage 300 via the carrier 310; consequently as the carriage 300 moves, the seat 100 oscillates back and forth with respect to the housing 210 (discussed in greater detail below).

The housing 210 may further include an electronics assembly 600 adapted to control the motor 350, as well as to generate sensory stimulating output. FIGS. 19 and 20 collectively represent schematic diagrams of the electronics assembly 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Generally, the electronics assembly 600 may include a control unit having one or more switches or actuators that correspond to the various interactive features of the child support device 10, as described above. By way of example, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the electronics assembly 600 may include a first switch 610 (SW1A/SW1B), a second switch 620 (SW2A/SW2B), and a third switch 630 (SW3), each in communication with a control unit 640. The electronics assembly 600 may also include additional switches and circuitry as desired to accommodate any other desired functionality, such as electronics to allow the electronics to interact with foot pedal 206, which are not shown herein.

The first switch 610 (comprising switch poles SW1A and SW1B), may be configured to provide power to the control unit 640 of the infant support structure 10 (i.e., to turn the infant support structure 10 on and to provide power to a speaker, etc.), as well as to control the parameters of the motor 350, e.g., to set the speed at which the motor 350 rotates the post 360 and, as such, the oscillatory speed of the carriage 300 and the seat portion 100. By way of example, the speed control unit can be any suitable control circuit capable of varying the current to the motor 350, such as a pulse width modulation control, a rheostatic control, etc. The second switch 620 (comprising switch poles SW2A and SW2B) may be configured to alter the sensory output of the infant support structure 10, e.g., by changing the type of music generated by the control unit 640. The third switch 630 (SW3) may be configured to adjust the output volume of the speaker 650 (hi/lo). The infant support structure 10 may also include sensory output generating devices including, but not limited to, a speaker 650 (e.g., a 0.25 W, 50 mm, 16 ohm speaker and lights 660) and lights (e.g., grain of wheat (GOW) or light emitting diodes (LEDs)).

The electronics assembly 600 of the infant support structure 10 may further include a power source 670. The power source may comprise a direct current source or alternating current source (e.g., a standard outlet plug or four “D-cell” batteries). In some embodiments, the foot pedal 206 may be an on/off for the power source 670. However, in other embodiments, the foot pedal 206 may simply appear to be an on/off switch, insofar as actuation of foot pedal 206 may cause all of the lights and sounds included in the electronics assembly 600 to power down while the electronics assembly 600 remains powered on, perhaps in a power-saving mode. In still other embodiments, actuation of the foot pedal 206 may cause the electronics system 600 to save the current settings in a memory and power down. Either way, actuation of the foot pedal 206 may cause the electronics assembly 600 to appear to shut down while maintaining, either by staying powered on or by storing in memory, the current settings input by a user.

The motor 350, each of the switches 610, 620, 630, the speaker 650, the lights 660, and the power source 670 are each operatively connected to the control unit 640, which is capable of producing switch-specific electronic output. The type of control unit 640 is not limited to that which is illustrated herein, and may include microcontrollers, microprocessors, and other integrated circuits. By way of specific example, the control unit 640 may comprise a speech and melody processor (e.g., the W567S120 processor, available from Winbond Electronics Corporation of America, San Jose, Calif. (www.winbond-usa.com)). The control unit 640 recognizes and controls signals generated by the various switches 610, 620, 630, as well as generates and controls operational output directed through various sensory generating devices (e.g., the motor 350, the speaker 650, and the lights 660). The control unit 440 continually monitors the electronic status of the various switches, generating and altering the sensory output (e.g., movement, sounds, and/or lights) accordingly.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

For example, the infant support structure 10 can be of any size and shape. Any seat suitable to support a child may be used. The electronics assembly 600 in accordance with the present invention may include any combination of sensors, switches, lights, speakers, animated members, motors, and sensory output generating devices. The control unit 640 may produce any combination of audio and visual effects including, but not limited to, animation, lights, and sound (music, speech, and sound effects). The output pattern is not limited to that which is discussed herein and includes any pattern of music, lights, and/or sound effects. The electronics assembly 600 may also include additional switches or sensors to provide additional sensory output activation without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is also to be understood that the infant support structure 10, or portions thereof may be fabricated from any suitable material, or combination of materials, such as plastic, foamed plastic, wood, cardboard, pressed paper, metal, supple natural or synthetic materials including, but not limited to, cotton, elastomers, polyester, plastic, rubber, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. Suitable plastics may include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), or the like. Suitable foamed plastics may include expanded or extruded polystyrene, expanded or extruded polypropylene, EVA foam, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. For example, the material comprising the frame 110 is not limited to that illustrated herein, and may include tubes comprising any desirable metal (e.g., aluminum or steel).

Finally, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, it is to be understood that terms such as “left”, “right” “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “side”, “height”, “length”, “width”, “upper”, “lower”, “interior”, “exterior”, “inner”, “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the invention.

Repositionable Infant Support Structures

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)