High chair

Abstract

A high chair features various modes of adjustability and enhanced utility. The height of the chair can be adjusted using a single hand that engages a rear handle. The height of a seat platform of the chair can be adjusted separately relative to the tray. The tray itself is ergonomically designed for the benefit of the caregiver. A removable tray liner facilitates after-meal clean-up. Wheels on the underside of the tray ease fore / aft adjustment. A pivoting back rest of the chair minimizes rearward shift of the center of gravity of the occupied chair, thus requiring a smaller chair footprint. Further, an accessory bar pivoted to a seat back portion of the chair provides readily accessible entertainment.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60 / 457,325, filed Mar. 26, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to seating for children and, in particular, to high chairs. [0003] High chairs have been provided with a myriad of features designed to enhance their comfort, safety and convenience. There is room for improvement, however, as to several aspects of high chair design. This invention addresses these needs. [0004] During the course of attending to a child in a highchair, it is common practice for the caregiver to sit in front of the highchair and rest his or her arms on the high chair tray. High chair trays typically are made of a relatively hard, unforgiving material and do not provide a comfortable resting place for the caregiver's arms. [0005] The tray of a high chair can become extremely soiled by an infan...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] Another aspect of the invention concerns a removable insert for a tray that facilitates clean-up. The insert comprises a self-supporting, flexible member that is shaped generally to conform to and cover a central portion of the tray. The insert also may cover at least the immediately adjacent portions of a rim of the tray. The insert can include a central portion and a raised rim surrounding the central portion, and, in one embodiment, the raised rim can extend over and completely cover the rim of the tray. When removed from the tray, the insert can be flexed and tilted to channel food scraps to the center and one edge of the insert for easy disposal into a trash receptacle. The insert can be stably supported on any flat surface as a rimmed place mat when removed from the tray.

[0014] Still another aspect of the invention facilitates easy fore / aft adjustment of the tray. The tray has a top side, an underside, and at least one wheel mounted to the underside to rotate for movably supporting the tray on a bearing surface of the chair. In one embodiment, the tray can have three wheels, two of which are laterally spaced and are rotatable about a common axis, and the third being centrally located and rotatable about an axis offset from the common axis. The chair can have an occupant restraint at the front of the seat, and the central wheel rides on a recessed track in the occupant restraint.

[0015] A further aspect of the invention facilitates one-handed height adjustment of the chair. The chair comprises a seat including a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion, the seat bottom portion having a downwardly extending leg rest portion. A floor-engaging frame supports the seat, the frame including a front member in supporting engagement with the leg rest portion, the leg rest portion being slidable relative to the front member. The frame also includes an adjustable support for the rear of the seat comprising adjustably engageable mating portions of the frame and the seat. The chair also can have a handle for effecting the adjustment and for helping to bear the weight of the seat (and the occupant) with one hand as the adjustment is made.

[0017] Yet another aspect of the invention minimizes the shift of the center of gravity of the chair / occupant combination. The chair comprises a seat including a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion pivotally mounted relative to the seat bottom portion about a transverse pivot axis to move between an upright position and a reclined position. The two seat portions define a seat bight region along the seat bottom portion between a first transverse axis, where a lower edge of the seat back portion intersects the seat bottom portion when the seat back is in the upright position, and a second transverse axis, where a lower edge of the seat back portion intersects the seat bottom portion when the seat back is in the reclined position. The pivot axis is located above and forwardly of the seat bight region. If such a chair has armrest portions, the seat back portion can be provided with lateral extensions that are pivoted to the armrest portions about the pivot axis. The seat bottom portion can be curved upwardly at the rear thereof, and the seat back portion can be similarly curved at the bottom thereof to slide closely past the seat bottom portion throughout the range of adjustment of the seat back portion.

Problems solved by technology

High chair trays typically are made of a relatively hard, unforgiving material and do not provide a comfortable resting place for the caregiver's arms.

The tray of a high chair can become extremely soiled by an infant while eating.

The effective and controlled removal of this debris is not adequately addressed in the prior art.

Often the tray sticks, or does not slide easily on the surface of the highchair on which it bears.

Busy caregivers often find that only one hand is free for making a height adjustment.

Stringent stability (tipping) regulations have a direct impact on the footprint geometry of a high chair.

The wide range of physical development that a child undergoes during this time presents a formidable challenge to designing a high chair that ideally accommodates all of the physical needs of the child.

One aspect of available high chairs that does not adequately address this need is the seat height relative to the tray.

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