GB2158704A

GB2158704A - Tray device for an infant carriage

Info

Publication number: GB2158704A
Application number: GB08409923A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Noel Fleury
Original assignee: Mothercare UK Ltd
Current assignee: Mothercare UK Ltd
Priority date: 1984-04-17
Filing date: 1984-04-17
Publication date: 1985-11-20
Also published as: GB8409923D0; GB2158704B

Abstract

A tray device for an infant carriage which is removably securable to two spaced elements of the carriage, one to each side of the seat thereof, comprises a tray piece 1 and two support arms (2, Figure 3) therefor. Each arm is removably securable to a respective one of the carriage elements by a clamp and the arms are mountable to the tray piece at a plurality of differently spaced apart locations to enable the support arms to be secured to spaced elements of an infant carriage over a range of spacings thereof whereby the tray device may be used with different models of infant carriages. To provide this adjustment each arm is provided with a slide means 13, e.g. a dovetail recess, which is selectively cooperable with any one of a respective plurality of slide means 15, e.g. a dovetail-rib, on the tray piece. Each arm can be locked to the tray piece at the selected position by a rotatable recessed dog 20 on the arm engaging a rib 22 on the tray piece. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tray device for an infant carriage The present invention relates to a tray device for an infant carriage.

It is desirable to provide a tray device which can be removably secured to an infant carriage. Many infant carriages have suitable elements located to each respective side of the seat thereof to which a tray device might be secured. For example, in carriages of the foldable type shown in UK Patent Specifications 1321085, 1439942 and 2104850A, in which the frame collapses laterally, and two lateral elements extending between the handle and the front wheels each comprise two articulated parts which fold together when the frame is folded up so that the front wheels take up a position close to the handle, the two lateral elements are suitably disposed when the frame is erected to each respective side of the seat to enable a tray device to be secured.

The spacing apart of suitable elements of the carriage, even of carriages of the same general type, is not uniform and accordingly a tray device adapted to be removably secured to one particular model of carriage may not fit another model.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tray device which can be removably secured to spaced elements of an infant carriage over a range of spacings thereof.

The invention provides a tray device for an infant carriage, said tray device being removably secura ble to two spaced elements of the carriage, one to each side of the seat thereof, and comprising a tray piece and two support arms thereof, each arm being removably securable to a respective one of the spaced elements of the carriage, the support arms being mountable to the tray piece at a plurality of differently spaced apart locations to enable the support arms to be secured to spaced elements of an infant carriage over a range of spacings thereof.

Preferably at least one of the support arms is slidably mountable to the tray piece at a selected one of a plurality of spaced apart locations. To this end, the or each said slidably mountable support arm may be provided with a slide means which is selectively cooperable with any one of a respective plurality of spaced slide means on the tray piece.

Advantageously, the or each slidably mountable support arm is provided with a locking means engageable with a respective cooperable locking means on the tray piece for locking the arm relative to the tray piece at said selected location.

Preferably each support arm is provided with a respective clamping means for clamping the arm to a respective one of the spaced elements of the carriage.

In order that the invention may be better understood, the preferred embodiment thereof, which is given by way of example only, will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a tray device taken along the line I-I of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a view taken along the line ll-ll of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view taken along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a sketch of a clamp of the device taken in the direction of arrow IV in Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a tray device comprising a tray piece 1 and two support arms 2 therefor. The tray piece is moulded in a plastics material such as polypropylene and is provided with an upstanding rim 3 about its perimeter to assist location of items on the upper surface 4 of the tray piece. Each support arm 2 comprises a bent metal tube, one end portion of which is provided with a clamp 5 and the other end portion of which is mounted to the tray piece.

The clamps 5 enable the arms to be removably secured to two spaced elements of an infant carriage located on each side of the seat thereof. Each clamp comprises a fixed jaw 6 provided with a socket 7 by which it is secured to the end portion of the arm, and a further jaw 8 which is movable with respect to jaw 6. A bolt 9 extends from jaw 8, passes through a clearance bore in jaw 6 and threadingly engages a knob 10, rotation of which tightens or loosens the jaws. The bolt is secured against rotation relative to the jaw 8 by its hexagonal shaped head 11 being fitted within a correspondingly shaped recess in the jaw 8. The jaws are provided with aligned recessess 12 for engagement with the contour of a cylindrical element of the infant carriage.

For mounting the end portion of the support arm remote from the clamp 5 to the tray piece, each arm is provided with slide means 13 which cooperate with slide means 14 provided on the underside of the tray piece and moulded integrally therewith.

Two spaced apart slide means 14 are provided on the tray piece, one adjacent each end of the tray piece. Each slide means 14 comprises a plurality of individual slide means, each formed as a rib 15 of dovetail cross-section. The ribs 15 of each slide means 14 are spaced apart with respect to the length of the tray piece. As illustrated each slide means 14 comprises four ribs 15. The slide means 13 provided on each arm is formed with a single recess 16 of dovetail cross-section which is formed on one side of tubular member 17 which fits on the support arm. As will be appreciated the recess 16 of the slide means 13 can be selectively slid onto any one of the ribs 15 of the slide means 14.

Thus, each arm can be mounted to the tray piece at any one of a plurality (four, in the illustrated case) of spaced apart locations, and accordingly the arms are mountable to the tray piece at a plurality of spaced apart locations to enable the support arms to be secured by the clamps 5 to spaced elements of an infant carriage over a range of spacings thereof.

It will be understood that instead of the slide means 13 comprising a recess and the slide means 14 comprising a plurality of ribs, the former may comprise a rib and the latter a plurality of recesses.

Furthermore, whilst it is considered preferably to mount both of the arms so that each can be mounted at a selected one of a plurality of spaced apart locations, only one of the arms may be so mountable - the other arm being mounted or mountable at only one location, since such an arrangement sill enables the support arms to be mounted to the tray piece at a plurality of differently spaced apart locations.

Each arm 2 is provided with a locking means 18 which is engageable with a corresponding locking means 19 on the tray piece for locking the arm relative to the tray at a selected location. The locking means 18 comprises a dog 20 rotatably mounted in the end portion of the arm by means of a spigot 21. The locking means 19 comprise a rib 22 extending transversely of the ribs 15 adjacent the ends thereof nearest the side edge of the tray piece which is furthest away from the carriage. The dog 20 is formed with a recess 23 enageable with the rib 22. In order to lock the arm relative to the tray piece once the slide means 13 of the arm has been slid onto the slide means 14 at a selected location, it is only necessary to rotate the dog 20 from a retracted position which allows relative sliding between the slide means 13, 14 to the illustrated position wherein the recess 23 engages the rib 22 and therefore prevents the slide means 13 being disengaged from the slide means 14.

It will be appreciated that in the illustrated tray device the arrangement for mounting each arm to the tray piece not only allows the arms to be mounted at a plurality of differently spaced apart locations, but also permits rapid disassembly of the tray device whereby a compact package thereof can be made for storage or transport.

Claims

1. A tray device for an infant carriage, said tray device being removably securable to two spaced elements of the carriage, one to each side of the seat thereof, and comprising a tray piece and two support arms therefor, each arm being removably securable to a respective one of the spaced elements of the carriage, the support arms being mountable to the tray piece at a plurality of differently spaced apart locations to enable the support arms to be secured to spaced elements of an infant cariage over a range of spacings thereof.

2. A tray device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the support arms is slidably mountable to the tray piece at a selected one of a plurality of spaced apart locations.

3. A tray device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each said slidably mountable support arm is provided with a slide means which is selectively cooperable with any one of a respective plurality of spaced slide means on the tray piece.

4. - A tray device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the or each slidably mountable support arm is provided with a locking means engageable with a respective cooperable locking means on the tray piece for locking the arm relative to the tray piece at said selected location.

5. A tray device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each support arms is provided with a respective clamping means for clamping the arm to a respective one of the spaced elements of the carriage.

6. A tray device for an infant carriage, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.