SHADED INFANT LOUNGE DEVICE AND METHOD THEREFOR

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to infant chairs, bouncers, and similar devices for holding infants and more particularly pertains to a new shaded infant lounge device for supporting infants on a support panel suspended from a frame, which includes a canopy to shade an infant from natural or artificial light. The canopy is detachable from the frame of the lounge device to allow a user to collapse the frame and support panel of the lounge device for ease of transport, as well as allowing easier access to place an infant on the support panel and take the infant off of the support panel.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

The prior art relates to infant chairs, bouncers, and similar devices for holding infants. The prior art, as best understood, does not disclose a shaded infant lounge device that supports the infants in a supine position lying on the lounge device, either in a horizontal or inclined orientation with respect to the ground, which includes a canopy to shade an infant from natural or artificial light, and wherein the canopy is detachable from the frame of the lounge device to allow a user to collapse the frame and seat of the lounge device for ease of transport.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a shaded infant lounge device generally comprising a frame, a support panel, a canopy, and connection assemblies. The frame is selectively positionable between an expanded position and a collapsed position. The support panel is attached to the frame to support an infant lying thereon when the frame is in the expanded position. The canopy is removably mounted to the frame and is vertically spaced above the support panel when the frame is in the expanded position. The canopy is designed to create a shaded space over the support panel to shade the infant lying thereon from light, such as sunlight. The connection assemblies detachably connect the canopy to the frame, which allows for the canopy to be removed and the frame collapsed for ease of transport, as well as to allow the user, such as a parent, to remove the canopy for placing the infant on and taking the infant off the support panel.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a shaded infant lounge device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame and support panel of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a canopy of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a close-up view of a portion of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a frame and support panel of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a frame and support panel of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a collapsed position.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a collapsed position.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a stored position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 12 thereof, a new shaded infant lounge device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 12, the shaded infant lounge device 10 generally comprises a frame 12, a support panel 14, a canopy 16, and connection assemblies 18. The frame 12 is selectively positionable between an expanded position, as seen in FIGS. 2, 8, and 9, and a collapsed position, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11. The support panel 14 is attached to the frame 12 to support an infant 70 lying thereon when the frame 12 is in the expanded position, as shown in FIG. 7. The canopy 16 is removably mounted to the frame 12 and is vertically spaced above the support panel 14 when the frame 12 is in the expanded position, as shown in FIG. 1. The canopy 16 is designed to create a shaded space over the support panel 14. As best seen in FIG. 5, the canopy 16 is resiliently flexible such that the canopy 16 has an open-ended arch shape when connected to the frame 12. However, when the canopy 16 is detached from the frame 12, the canopy 16 springs back to a flat state, as shown in FIG. 3. The canopy 16 may be substantially rectangular in shape, though other shapes, such as squares or trapezoids, are within the scope of the disclosure. The canopy 16 can be made of plastic or fabric material, or possibly a combination of both, such as a fabric cover on a plastic frame. The canopy material could be UV-resistant and weather-resistant, especially for outdoor use.

The connection assemblies 18 detachably connect the canopy 16 to the frame 12. As best seen in FIG. 4, each of the connection assemblies 18 includes a first mating member 20 positioned on the frame 12 and a second mating member 22 positioned on an edge portion of the canopy 16, such as the corners of the canopy 16 as shown in FIG. 3. The first mating member 20 and the second mating member 22 are detachably connected by magnetic force for ease of connection and disconnection of the canopy 16, though other types of detachable connections, such as snaps, buttons, clips, and similar connectors, are within the scope of the disclosure. FIG. 4 shows one exemplary design in which the second mating members 22 are circular disks made at least in part of a magnetic material, and the first mating members 20 are circular receptacle structures that also are made at least in part of magnetic material. It should be understood that the design of the connection assemblies 18 in FIG. 4 is an exemplary design and other designs are within the scope of the disclosure.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the frame 12 includes upper support structures 24. The support panel 14 includes corner portions, each attached to a corresponding one of the support structures 24 to support the support panel 14 in a suspended manner on the frame 12, much like a sling or hammock. Each of the first mating members 20 is positioned on a corresponding one of the support structures 24 such that the canopy 16 covers the support panel 14 when the canopy 16 is connected to the frame 12. In other words, since the corners of the support panel 14 and the corners of the canopy 16 can be connected to the frame 12 at approximately the same location, the canopy 16 can provide substantial coverage over all or most all of the support panel 14 to promote optimum shading of the infant 70, regardless of the positioning of the shaded infant lounge device 10 or the angle of a light source. In at least one possible embodiment, one or two flexible flaps, made of a breathable cloth or fabric, could be attached to one side or two opposing sides of the canopy 16 to provide a curtain-like covering over the open ends of the canopy 16 when connected to the frame 12 for additional shading.

As shown in FIG. 7, the support panel 14 includes a first end portion 26 to support an upper body portion of an infant 70 and a second end portion 28 to support a lower body portion of an infant 70. The frame 12 supports the first end portion 26 higher than the second end portion 28 to support the head of the infant 70 lying on the support panel 14 vertically higher than the feet of the infant 70, such that the infant 70 is in an inclined or partially inclined position. In the embodiment of the frame 12 shown in FIG. 2 and elsewhere, two rod structures 30 extend upwardly at an angle to support the first end portion 26, though other designs of the frame 12 that produce a similar inclination of the first end portion 26 of the support panel 14 are within the scope of the disclosure.

As seen in FIG. 5, the frame 12 includes a locking structure 32, such as a collapsible crosspiece, to releasably lock the frame 12 in the expanded position. The frame 12 also includes leg portions 34 positioned below the support structures 24 to support the support panel 14 a distance off of a ground or floor surface. The leg portions 34 comprise foot structures 36 to provide stability and minimize tipping of the frame 12.

The support panel 14 is elongated to support a body of an infant 70 lengthwise. The support panel has a substantially rectangular shape, though the support panel 14 could be other shapes, such as square or trapezoidal. The support panel 14 is made of a flexible material, such as fabric or cloth, which permits the support panel 14 to be folded up when the frame 12 is in the collapsed position and unfolded into a smooth support surface when the frame 12 is in the expanded position. The support panel 14 is in the form of a sling suspended from the support structures 24, much like a hammock.

As shown in FIG. 12, pairs of the second mating members 22 are detachably connectable to one another to permit a user to roll up the canopy 16 and connect edge portions or corners of the canopy 16 to form a tubular shape to store the support panel 14 and the frame 12 therein in the collapsed position. In other words, the canopy 16 can be rolled up and connected at its edges or corners to function as a transport container for the frame 12 and support panel 14.

As shown in FIG. 2 and elsewhere, the shaded infant lounge device 10 also includes a securing device 38 that is designed to prevent an infant 70 from rolling and falling off of the support panel 14. The securing device 38 is in the form of a harness designed to fit around a body of an infant 70. The harness includes a waist strap 40 designed to be placed over a waist area of an infant 70 and a center strap 42 designed to be placed between legs of an infant 70. However, other harness designs for securing an infant 70 in place are within the scope of the disclosure. The securing device 38 is connected to the support panel 14 as shown in FIG. 2, but alternatively could be attached to the frame 12 or both the frame 12 and the support panel 14, depending on the design of the securing device 38.

The shaded infant lounge device 10 is designed to fit the average infant, especially infants that are unable to sit up on their own, such as newborns. The average length of a baby or infant from birth to one year of age is in the range of about 19 to 30 inches. The support panel 14 is therefore sized accordingly, having a length in the range of about 38 to 46 inches and a width in the range of about 15 to 18 inches to accommodate most infants up to about one year in age. The support panel 14 could be even smaller to be designed for newborns and infants under six months, having a length in the range of about 30 to 36 inches and a width in the range of about 12 to 15 inches. The canopy 16 would be sized to have a similar length as the support panel 14 to provide shade over all or most all of the support panel 14. However, the canopy 16 would have a larger width in order to produce the arch when connected to the frame 12. The canopy 16 is in one embodiment essentially square shaped, such that both the length and the width are in the same range, such as 30 to 36 inches or 38 to 46 inches. However, the canopy 16 could be rectangular or trapezoidal such that the width of the canopy 16 or a portion thereof could be larger or smaller than the length to produce arches of greater or lesser height. The arch height should be relatively small in order to minimize the amount of light that enters the arch from the open ends, though a larger arch height may be desirable in order to allow for easier access to the infant when the canopy 16 is connected to the frame 12. It should be noted that all ranges listed herein include all whole numbers and tenths in the range. Other sizes and dimensions suitable for infants are within the scope of the disclosure.

To use the shaded infant lounge device 10, the user expands the frame 12 into the expanded position. The user places an infant 70 on the support panel 14, as shown in FIG. 7. The user removably mounts the canopy 16 to the frame 12 using the plurality of connection assemblies 18, and thereby creates a shaded space over the support panel 14 to protect the infant 70 from exposure to light, whether natural or artificial. Since the canopy 16 has an open-ended design, it is possible to slide the infant 70 on and off of the support panel 14 while the canopy 16 is attached, though it is more convenient to do so with the canopy 16 removed, especially since the canopy 16 can be so easily disconnected and reconnected to the frame 12. When the user is done using the shaded infant lounge device 10, the user removes the canopy 16 from the frame 12 and removes the infant 70 from the support panel 14. The user then collapses the frame 12 and the support panel 14 into the collapsed position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Finally, as shown in FIG. 12 and discussed above, the user can then roll up the canopy 16 into the tubular shape and connect pairs of the second mating members 22 to maintain the tubular shape. The rolled-up canopy 16 is then used to store the support panel 14 and the frame 12 in the collapsed position, for both ease of transport and compact storage when not in use.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.