GB2117257A - Foldable babywalkers - Google Patents

Abstract

A babywalker has two frame members 1, 2 which carry a baby supporting sling 5 and which are pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends by pivot means 3 including stops defining open (unfolded) and closed (folded) positions, and means for restraining relative pivotal movement of the frame members 1, 2 at least in the open position. The pivot means may comprise a circular pad 11 having on one side a groove 15 whereby it is mounted on the inner frame member 2 and on its other side a pair of diametrically opposed projections 16 forming stop members defining the open and closed positions of the babywalker. The pad also has a groove 17 in which the arm of frame member 1 lies in the open position and a bolt 12 and knot 14 for screwing up in such position. The height of the sling may be adjusted by means of removable rod 19 or by providing a further intermediate groove in pad 11. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to babywalkers The present invention concerns a babywalker, that is a movable device in which a baby is supported in an upright position but with its feet in contact with the ground. The baby thus supported can walk without the necessity of simultaneously balancing and fully supporting its own weight.

Two types of babywalker are in current use in the United Kingdom. The first type has a ring-like structure having legs fixed thereto terminating in wheels or rollers and from which is suspended a sling having two apertures for the baby's legs but because of the fixed nature of the ring-like structure this type of babywalker can never be folded.

The other known type of babywalker is foldable and comprises two pivotally interconnected frame members terminating below the pivots in wheels or rollers to form in the unfolded condition when viewed from the side, an X-like structure. Above the pivots the sling for supporting the baby is suspended.In this type of babywalker, when in the open or unfolded condition and supporting the baby, the frame members are prevented collapsing, i.e. opening or unfolding further by the well known arrangement of one or more pairs of hingedly interconnected arms or struts pivoted to the legs of the frame members, one of the struts having an end which extends beyond the point of pivotal connection with the other strut, and this end having a sideways projecting key arranged to lock in a notch in the other strut when the two struts are in alignment, the aligned and thus locked struts holding the X-structure of the babywalker in its open position.

This arrangement has the disadvantage that the key may be accidentally knocked out of the cooperating notch whilst the babywalker is supporting a baby and the baby can catch its fingers in the hinges.

The present invention has for an object to provide an improved foldable babywalker.

Accordingly the present invention consists in a babywalker comprising two frame members pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends by pivot means, the members together carrying between one of their ends a sling for supporting a baby and at their other ends having wheels or rollers, and characterised in that the pivot means include stops defining open or unfolded and closed or folded positions of the babywalker, and means for restraining relative pivotal movement of the frame members in the open or unfolded condition of the babywalker.

Preferably the means for restraining relative pivotal movement of the frame members are also operative to restrain such movement when the babywalker is in its folded or closed condition.

Each pivot means may comprise a pad having one face secured to one frame member and its other face provided with a pair of projections providing said stops.

In a preferred embodiment, each pivot means includes a bolt having a shank extending through the members and held against rotation, and a threaded member cooperating with and held captive on the bolt for a limited degree of movement so as to press the second member into restraining engagement with the pad.

The pad may include a groove or recess for receiving the second member when the babywalker is in its open condition and thus further restraining relative pivotal movement of the frame members.

Advantageously, each pad is of plastics or elastomeric material and is circular in plan, the bolt associated therewith passing through the centre of the pad and the stops being provided by projections on the pad which are substantially triangular in plan.

Means may be provided whereby the effective height of the sling may be varied to which end for example the sling can be removably secured to the frame members in such a manner that in order to raise the effective height of the sling at least one additional length of the sling can be wrapped around the means securing it to the member in such a manner as to shorten the effective length of the sling.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a babywalker constructed in accordance with the present invention in its open or unfolded condition; Figure 2 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in its closed or folded condition, Figure 3 is a part-sectional view through a pivot means for the embodiment of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of the pivot means of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a plan view of part of the pivot means of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the babywalker shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a pair of similar frame members 1, 2 which are of inverted generally U-shaped form and are pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends by pivot means 3. The member 2 is slightly smaller in the transverse direction than member 1 and thus fits within the latter. The arms of the U's formed by the frame members are bent in such a manner that when the babywalker is in the open condition the portions 4 of the arms above the pivot means 3 form an almost planar ring structure from which is suspended a baby supporting sling 5 having apertures at 6 through which a baby's legs can be positioned so that the baby's feet can rest on the floor surface on which the babywalker is standing.

The lower ends of the arm portions below the pivot means 3 are further bent so that they end in sections 8 which in the open condition of the babywalker are substantially vertical. Each section 8 carries a wheel 9 mounted on a short curved member 10 which is rotatably received in its associated section 8, so that in use the wheels 9 can pivot about vertical axes. It will be seen that the arms of the members 1 and 2 are bent in such a manner that when the babywalker is in its closed condition the arms recross at a point below the pivot means 3 so that the sections 8 of the respective members diverge. This can best be seen in Fig. 2. This divergence makes it possible to stand the closed or folded babywaiker in a relatively stable manner.

It will be seen that there are no hinged struts provided for holding the frame members 1, 2 in their open positions. Instead, to prevent unwanted collapse or folding of the babywalker shown in the drawings when in use, the pivot means 3 are arranged so that they are capable of holding the frames 1, 2 firmly in their open positions.

The pivot means 3 are shown in greater detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5. From these figures it can be seen that each pivot means 3 comprises a plastics or elastomeric pad 11 which is circular in plan and which is secured to the outer surface of an arm of the inner frame member 2 by a coach bolt or the like 12. The bolt 12 extends through the associated arm of inner member 2, the pad 11 and the adjacent arm of the outer member 1. This bolt has a screwthreaded shank and is held captive against rotation relative to the inner member 2 by the engagement of a rectangular projection under the bolt head with a rectangular hole in the associated arm of the inner member 2. Mounted on that portion of the shank of the bolt 12 which extends beyond the outer member 1 is a knob 14 having an internal screw-thread which cooperates with the thread on the shank.The knob 14 is held captive on the screw-threaded shank, for example by peening over the shank end such that the knob can be turned through approximately three screw threads for a reason to be explained.

One side of pad 11 is formed with a groove 1 5 having a semi-circular cross-section in which the associated arm of the inner member 2 nests. The other side of pad 11 is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed projections 1 6 which are substantially triangular in plan with their apices pointing inwardly as can be seen in the plan view of Figure 5. Running diametrically across the pad 11 is a shallow groove 17.

By means of its groove 15, each pad 11 is mounted on the associated arm of the inner member 2 so that the line joining the apices of the projections 1 6 is in alignment with the axis of the arm at the point where the pad is mounted on the arm.

The sides 16' and 1 6" of the projections 1 6 form stop members which provide limits to the relative pivotal movement of the members 1 and 2. In fact the outer member 1 will be limited to movement in an arc of angle A, with the outer member lying against the sides 1 6' of the projections 16 when the babywalker is folded or closed and against the sides 16" when the babywalker is in its unfolded or open condition. It will also be seen that when in the open condition.

the arm of the outer member 1 lies in alignment with the groove 1 7 and with the knob 14 fully screwed in that portion of the arm of the outer member 1 actually nests, and is held by the knob, in the groove 1 7.

Thus in order to unfold or open the babywalker for use from the folded or closed position shown in Fig. 2 the knobs 14 are unscrewed the members 1 and 2 pivoted about the pivot means 3 with the associated arms of the outer member 1 riding over the flat area 1 a between the projection 1 6 until the outer member engages the respective sides 1 6" of the projections 1 6.

The knobs 14 are then tightened to push the associated arms of the outer members 1 into the groove 17 thus firmly holding the babywalker in its open condition. By virtue of the knobs 14 being held captive and only being capable of being turned a limited amount, even if the knobs 14 are inadvertently left unturned the arms of the members 1 cannot ride over the stop members formed by the projections 1 6 but abut sides 16" preventing collapse.

Similarly to close the babywalker the knobs 14 are unscrewed to free the members 1 and 2 for relative movement, the latter are then moved, with the outer member moving over the flat area 11 a, until the outer member engages sides 16' of projections 1 6 whereafter the knobs 1 4 are again tightened to hold the babywalker in its closed condition.

The dotted line 20 in Figure 5 shows an arm of an outer member 1 in the open condition of the babywalker and the dotted lines 30 show an arm in the closed condition.

It will be appreciated, that with the babywalker as heretofore described, there is no means of adjusting the height of that portion of the babywalker from which the sling 5 is suspended to accommodate babies of different heights.

However, in the embodiment shown in the drawings provision is made for this by suspending opposite sides of the sling 5 by loops 1 8 through each of which a rod 1 9 is passed, the rod 19 having curved ends which are firmly but removably mounted in apertures in the cross pieces 21 of members 1, 2. The curved ends of the rods 1 9 are preferably screw-threaded and carry nuts, e.g. of plastics, to hold the rods 1 9 securely on the cross-pieces.

In order to raise the level of the sling 5, the rods 1 9 are removed from their mounting and one or more additional loops of the sling material passed around the rods so as to shorten, and thus raise, the sling 5. Returning the rods 1 9 to their mounted position traps the additional loops and holds and sling 5 in a raised position.

It is of course possible for each of the pads 10 to be provided with an additional groove into which the outer member 1 can be pressed by the knob 1 4 associated therewith, the additional groove lying intermediate the groove 1 7 and the sides 16' of the projections 1 6 to raise the height of the sling 5 from the ground.

It will be appreciated that rather than the bolt and captive knob arrangement described the pivot means may be provided with an alternative locking arrangement for holding the members 1 and 2 in their respective open and closed positions.

Claims (14)

1. A babywalker comprising two frame members pivotally interconnected intermediate their ends by pivot means, the members together carrying between one of their ends a sling for supporting a baby and at their other end having wheels or rollers, and characterised in that the pivot means include stops defining open or unfolded and closed or folded positions of the babywalker, and means for restraining relative pivotal movement of the frame members in the open or unfolded condition of the babywalker.

2. A babywalker as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the means for restraining relative pivotal movement of the frame members are also operative to restrain such movement when the babywalker is in its folded or closed condition.

3. A babywalker as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each pivot means comprises a pad having one face secured to a respective arm of one frame member and its other face provided with two projections providing said stops.

4. A babywalker as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that each pivot means includes a bolt having a shank extending through adjacent arms of the frame members and held against rotation, and a threaded member cooperating with a thread on, and held captive on, the bolt shank for turning movement so as to press the adjacent arm of the second frame member into restraining engagement with the pad.

5. A babywalker as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the turning movement of the threaded member is limited to the degree such that the particular arms of the frame members will not override the projections even when the threaded member is left fully unturned in the open condition of the babywalker.

6. A babywalker as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterised in that each pad includes a groove or recess for receiving the adjacent arm of the second frame member when the babywalker is in its opel condition to further restrain relative pivotal movement of the frame members.

7. A babywalker as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that each pad has a nesting groove in its said one face in which the adjacent arm of the said one frame member nests.

8. A babywalker as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the projections are substantially triangular in plan with their apices facing inwardly, the position of the nesting groove being such that an imaginary line joining the apices of the projections is in alignment with the axis of the particular arm of the one frame member at the location where the pad is mounted on the arm.

9. A babywalker as claimed in claims 7 and 8, when claim 7 is appendant to claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon, characterised in that each pad is circular in plan and in that the associated bolt passes through the centre of the pad.

10. A babywalker as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 9, characterised in that the frame members are of circular cross-section and in that the arms of the second frame member abut against curved sides of the projections in the open and closed conditions.

11. A babywalker as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that means are provided for varying the effective height of the sling.

12. A babywalker as claimed in claim 1 as appendant to claim 4, or any claim dependent thereon, characterised in that the sling height varying means is constituted by a groove in each pad.

13. A babywalker as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the sling height varying means comprises means for removably securing the sling to the frame members and around which at least one additional length of the sling can be wrapped so as to shorten the effective length of the sling.

14. A babywalker as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the frame members bend in the same direction at two locations between the pivot means and the wheels or rollers such that in the closed condition the frame members crossover at the location nearer the pivot means and beyond the cross-over point the frame members diverge whereby to enable the babywalker to stand in a relatively stable manner.

1 5. A babywalker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.