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1.Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a high chair for children with backrest having adjustable inclination and, more particularly, to a high chair which makes use of a pivotal base movable along an adjusting channel of the backrest for pivotally carrying a connecting element, thereby providing the backrest with different support angles, so as to adjust the inclination angle of the backrest.
2.Description of the Prior Art
A high chair provides a child with a seat for taking a meal. Examples of high chairs can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,620, U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,885, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,719, U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,374, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,550, U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,922, U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,826, U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,805, U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,102, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,184. Basically, a high chair may comprise a seat portion, a meal tray on top of the seat portion, and a set of chair legs which stand on the floor.
To accommodate children of different ages who may still be growing or those who may be short, the backrest must be adjusted according to each child's size, to find an inclination angle comfortable for each specific child. U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,505 provides an example of angle adjustment for a backrest, wherein the backrest adjusting device is furnished at both sides of the seat portion so as to adjust the inclination angle of the backrest. However, the structure of said chair is complicated and tedious. Further, for effecting the adjustment, it is necessary to manipulate both sides of the chair at same time.
In order to resolve the above-mentioned troubles with operation, the present invention provides a high chair for children with a simple control mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the backrest. The high chair for children according to the present invention may including a foldable frame work, a seat portion, a backrest, an adjusting mechanism movable along the backrest, and a connecting element pivotally interconnected between the adjusting mechanism and the foldable frame work. The adjusting mechanism can be manipulated to move along the backrest and carries the connecting element pivotally to change to different inclination angles, so as to support the backrest at different inclination angles.
Preferably, the backrest further has an adjusting channel elongated in a vertical direction for guiding the adjusting mechanism.
The adjusting mechanism preferably includes a pivotal base and a manipulating member wherein the pivotal base has a catching block for positioning along the adjusting channel. The manipulating member is pivotally connected to the pivotal base. When adjusting the backrest, a user can move the manipulating member with one hand and carry the connecting element to different inclination angles that can support the backrest with desired inclination angles.
During adjusting the backrest, a user can feel the weight of the baby with the hand. The user is therefore capable of avoiding the hazard of a suddenly drop of the backrest.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a high chair with a backrest having adjustable inclination of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the members of an adjustable device of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view from another view angle different from that of the FIG. 2 of the members of an adjustable device of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of a limit sheet and a pivotal base of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing that the adjusting channel meshes with catching block of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the action that the prop-up portion of the manipulating member pushes the backrest to move of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a side view showing that the backrest rotates at different angles of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a side view showing that the framework of the child high chair is folded up of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, an embodiment of a high chair (3) for a child according to the present invention includes a foldable frame work (2), a seat portion (31), a backrest (32), an adjusting mechanism (5) movable along the backrest (32), and a connecting element (4) which is pivotally interconnected to the adjusting mechanism (5) and the foldable frame work (2). The adjusting mechanism (5) can be manipulated to move along the backrest (32), thereby pivotally carrying the connecting element (4) to different inclination angles, so as to support the backrest at a variety of corresponding inclination angles. A user can therefore adjust the inclination of the backrest with one hand only.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the position of the foldable framework (2) includes a deployed position and a collapsed position. The foldable framework (2) has a front leg (21), a rear leg (22) and a pivot element (23). The pivot element (23) pivotally connects with the front leg (21), the rear leg (22) and the connecting element (4), so that the front leg (21) and rear leg (22) can either be deployed to support the seat portion (31), or collapsed into a compact size for storage in a limited space.
The seat portion (31) pivotally connects the front leg (21) and the rear leg (22) at the both sides, and pivotally connects the backrest (32) at a rear end therefore. This allows the backrest (32) to pivot about the rear end of the seat portion (31), as seen in the dashed lines illustrated in FIG. 7.
In order to guide movement of the adjusting mechanism (5) along the backrest (32), the back of the backrest (32) may preferably be formed with two adjusting channels (321) which extend parallel to each other as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, a slot (322) is formed parallel to the two adjusting channels (321) as shown in FIG. 3.
The connecting element (4) has two arms (41) and a pivotal portion (42). The arms (41) extend parallel to each other. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, each of the arms (41) pivots with the pivot element (23) at one end, and connects to the pivotal portion (42) at the other end. The arms therefore form a U-shaped connecting element (4) which pivotally interconnects the foldable framework (2) and the backrest (32), and provides the backrest (32) with support for different inclination angles, as the dashed line shows schematically in FIG. 7.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the adjusting mechanism (5) may further comprise a pivotal base (51), a limiting piece (53) and a manipulating member (52). The pivotal base (51) pivotally holds the pivotal portion (42) of the connecting element (4), and can carry the pivotal portion (42) while moving along the adjusting channels (321), in order to provide adjustable inclination support for the backrest (32).
Referring to FIG. 3, the pivotal base (51) is formed with a pair of catching blocks (511) and a pair of receiving troughs (512), wherein the pair of catching blocks (511) can selectively engage with the bottom of the adjusting channels (321), as is shown in FIG. 5. The manipulating member (52) is pivotally connected to the pivotal base (51) and formed with a prop-up portion (521). The limiting piece (53) is formed with a pair of salient posts (54) which is configured to penetrate through the guided slot (322) and may be moved back and forth within the receiving trough (512) of the pivotal base (51) as shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, a resilient element (55) is telescopically accommodated within the receiving trough (512) for biasing against the pair of salient posts (54), thereby providing a force to keep the pair of catching block (511) engaged with the bottom of the adjusting channels (321). This fixes the inclination position of the connecting element (4) and the backrest (32). In this embodiment, the resilient element can be a compression spring.
Once the manipulating member (52) is pressed in the direction indicated by the arrow indicated in the FIG. 6, the prop-up portions (521) are turned to press against the surface of the backrest (32), thereby lifting the catching blocks (511) to disengage from the adjusting channels (321). This carries and moveably repositions the connecting element (4) along the adjusting channels (321) into a new inclination position.
Preferably, the catching block (511) and the bottom of the adjusting channel (321) are formed and engaged with a pawl or detent-like portions, through which a user can push the backrest (32) upwardly to change the inclination angle without pressing the manipulating member (52). In this way, the present application creates a more convenient method of operating a high chair, and facilitates operation and adjustment of the backrest with only one hand.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.