DE20307192U1 - High chair for small child has telescopic column raised or lowered by hydraulic or pneumatic pedal and resting on folding legs - Google Patents

Abstract

A high chair for a small child has a seat resting on a central telescopic column which is supported by a number of folding legs resting on castors. The central telescopic column is esp. raised or lowered by a lever-operated hydraulic or pneumatic jack.

Description

Kenny CHENG, Taipei, Taiwan
High chair

The present invention relates to a multifunctional high chair. In particular, the invention relates to a high chair intended for young children, which is arranged for easy adjustment of its height and can be folded to a minimum volume.

Since a toddler's bones are more flexible, a toddler should be held by an adult or supported by a high chair for safety reasons. However, holding the toddler for a long time will cause the adult to become tired. On the other hand, a high chair can support the weight of a toddler, but the height of the high chair must be adjusted frequently to accommodate the toddler's growth. Furthermore, it is difficult to put the high chair away after eating. In addition, in a restaurant, it is necessary to request a high chair with a fixed height. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for a high chair for toddlers whose height can be easily adjusted and which can be conveniently transported.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional high chair for toddlers. Generally, the leg frame is designed to take the form of an inverted V or an L shape. The means for height adjustment consists of a locking slot.

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During height adjustment, the user must operate buttons (not shown) on either side of a height adjustment mechanism 120 to move a sleeve 100 up or down along leg tubes 110, thereby allowing adjustment of the height of the high chair. Sometimes the user is carrying items that do not allow both hands to operate the height adjustment mechanism, so the user must first place the infant on the high chair before putting down the items in his hands and then using both hands to adjust the height. Such a procedure is inconvenient. Moreover, the height adjustment would prove more difficult due to the combined weight of the infant plus the high chair itself.

Conventional high chairs also have the disadvantage that they cannot be dismantled and folded to a minimal volume, making them very inconvenient to store and transport due to their bulky structure.

In view of the above-described disadvantages of conventional high chairs for young children, the present invention has been created based on the diligence and experience of the applicant. The object of the invention is to provide an improved high chair which can be operated with less effort by pressing with a single hand or by pedaling with a foot and which can also be folded or folded into a minimal volume. Furthermore, the invention is intended to provide a high chair which can be conveniently transported and stored due to its small space requirement.

The high chair according to the invention includes a lifting device and a foldable leg frame. The lifting device includes an outer tube, a piston rod and an operating lever. The upper end of the piston rod is provided with a pair of holes for inserting a bolt, whereby the piston rod and a seat base can be connected to each other. A telescopic cover such as a bellows is provided on the circumference of the piston rod to cover the piston rod and give the high chair an elegant appearance. The operating lever

lever has an elongated C-shape so that it can be easily operated by pressing with a single hand or by pedaling with a foot.

The leg frame includes an upper pivot section, a lower pivot section and a plurality of support legs. Each support leg includes a first branching leg or main leg and a second branching leg or secondary leg and is pivotally connected to the upper and lower pivot parts. The free end of each support leg is provided with a rotatable wheel for movement on the ground. The upper pivot section is attached to the outside of the outer tube of the lifting device. The lower pivot part is attached to a lower section of a sliding sleeve and can slide together with it. The folding of the leg frame is effected by axial sliding of the sliding sleeve on the outer tube. The bottom of the outer tube is provided with a locking body made of plastic which has the shape of a hollow cylinder. The circumference of the locking body is provided with preferably four locking lugs in order to engage the lower pivot part.

As the lifting device of the high chair of the present invention, a device using air pressure or a hydraulic piston can be used. Therefore, it can be operated with less effort even when a small child is sitting on the high chair of the present invention. In addition, since the high chair of the present invention can be operated by simply pressing the hand or by kicking the foot, the height of the high chair of the present invention can be easily adjusted even when the user is holding something in his hand. In addition, the volume of the high chair of the present invention can be reduced to a minimum due to the foldable leg frame, so that it then takes up less space. The seat body and the piston rod of the lifting device can be detachably connected to one another by means of the pin, so that the high chair can be easily disassembled and transported. The leg frame is also provided with a plurality of support legs which stand firmly on the ground when fully unfolded.

The construction, features and functions of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional high chair for toddlers;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a high chair according to the invention in the unfolded state of a leg frame and in the raised state of a piston rod, the seat section being shown in dotted lines; 10

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the folded state of the leg frame and the lowered state of the piston rod of the high chair according to the invention, with the seat part omitted;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the fully unfolded state of the leg frame, with the piston rod of the high chair according to the invention extended to its highest position;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the fully folded state of the leg frame with the piston rod of the high chair according to the invention lowered to the lowest position;

Fig. 6 is a partially sectioned side view of the internal structure of a plastic locking body of the invention and associated locking tongues;

Fig. 7a shows in a schematic cross-section the internal structure of the lifting device when the piston rod rises by means of the actuating lever according to the invention; and

Fig. 7b shows in a schematic cross-section the internal structure of the lifting device,

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when the operating lever is in a locked position.

The invention is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings using an embodiment in which a hydraulic cylinder is used for a lifting device of the high chair according to the invention. The seat part of the high chair does not form part of the invention and has therefore been omitted from the following description for the sake of simplicity.

2 to 5, a high chair according to the invention particularly comprises a lifting device and a leg frame. The lifting device comprises an operating lever 10, an outer tube 12 and a piston rod 14. The upper end of the piston rod 14 is provided with holes, preferably a pair of holes 18, for inserting a pin (not shown), through which a seat base 2 can be attached to the piston rod 14. On the circumference of the piston rod 14 there is provided a telescopic cover 16 which can be pulled out or pushed back when the piston rod is raised or lowered. The telescopic cover 16 covers the piston rod 14 in such a way that an elegant appearance can be given to the high chair. The leg frame comprises an upper pivot part 20, a lower pivot part 24 and a plurality of support legs. The upper pivot part 20 is attached to the outside of the outer tube 12 of the lifting device at a location slightly below the operating lever 10. The lower pivot part 20 is attached to a sliding sleeve 27 in order to be able to slide axially along the periphery of the outer tube 12 and thereby to unfold or fold the leg frame. The leg frame is provided with a plurality of support legs. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the number of support legs is six. However, the invention is not limited to high chairs with six support legs, but three, four, five, six or more support legs can also be provided, as long as the leg frame can stand firmly on the ground when it is in the unfolded state. Each support leg is provided with a first branched leg or main leg 25 and a second branched leg or secondary leg 26. The main leg 25 is pivotable both at a first pivot point 21 with the upper pivot part

and at a second pivot point 22 to the secondary leg 26, while the secondary leg 26 is also pivotally connected to the lower pivot part 24 at a third pivot point 23, thereby creating an articulated construction. The free end of each support leg is provided with a rotatable wheel 28 to enable it to slide on the ground.

The folding and unfolding movements of the leg frame are now explained in more detail. In Figs. 2 and 4, the leg frame is shown in an unfolded or unfolded state. Since the main leg 25 and the secondary leg 26 are pivotally connected to the upper pivot part 20 and the lower pivot part 24, respectively, the main leg 25 is pivoted outwards when unfolded, whereby the sliding sleeve 27 is moved upwards until it hits the upper pivot part 20. At the same time, the lower pivot part 24 engages behind locking tongues 32, which are provided on a locking body 30 made of plastic and thereby fix the unfolded state. When the leg frame is to be folded up, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the user simply has to press in the preferably four locking tongues 32 with his fingers so that the sliding sleeve 27 can slide downwards along the outer tube 12, whereby all the support legs are folded in. The lower pivot part 24 then covers the locking body 30 and thereby completes the folding of the leg frame.

In Fig. 6, the locking body 30 is shown as an example as a ring-shaped cylinder. The outer surface of the locking body 30 is provided with preferably four locking tongues 32. Each locking tongue 32 is provided as a step provided with a slope for applying and stopping the lower pivoting part 24. In order to reduce the material and therefore the total weight of the high chair, the outer diameter of the lower part of the lifting device, i.e. the diameter of the lower part of the outer tube 12, is reduced so that the reduced diameter is exactly equal to the inner diameter of the locking body 30. As a result, when the locking body 30 is on the lower part of the outer tube

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is attached, only the four locking tongues 32 slightly forward, without thereby hindering the folding out by the lower pivot part 24. A plurality of radial stiffening ribs 34 are provided between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the locking body 30 in order to reduce the overall weight on the one hand, but to maintain sufficient rigidity on the other. The attachment of the stiffening ribs 34 also creates a space in which the locking tongues 32 can be bent inwards. The bottom of the outer tube 12 is flush with the locking body 30, which can be firmly connected to the outer tube 12 by means of a few bolts or screws (not shown).

The principle of operation of the lifting device is described below. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lifting device is designed as a hydraulic cylinder. Alternatively, however, an air pressure cylinder could also be used. According to Fig. 7a and 7b, pivoting the operating lever 10 up or down enables the piston rod 14 in the hydraulic cylinder to be raised. The principle of operation of the hydraulic cylinder is similar to that of conventional hydraulic cylinders and is therefore not explained further for the sake of simplicity. When the piston rod 14 is raised to a suitable height, the user can pivot the operating lever 10 up into a locking position.

Due to the design of the shaft of the operating lever with an eccentric control cam, a locking block 15 in the cylinder can be pressed against the piston rod 14 to lock it and fix the set height of the piston rod 14. At this moment, the piston rod 14 can neither be raised nor rotated further, thus avoiding unwanted rotations of the high chair. Similarly, when the piston rod 14 is to be lowered, the user pivots the operating lever 10 downwards from its locking position, whereby the piston rod 14 can be easily lowered down to the floor by the weight of the toddler or a small force applied by the user.

Due to the construction described above, the high chair according to the invention has

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many advantages over the prior art. Since the operating lever 10 can be operated by pressing with a single hand or by pedaling with a foot, height adjustment can be easily carried out even when the user is holding something in his hand. Furthermore, since the lifting device is activated by air pressure or a hydraulic cylinder, it can be operated with far less effort to overcome the total weight of the toddler plus the high chair itself. In addition, the speed of the height adjustment is very smooth and slow so that the child sitting in the high chair cannot be frightened. When the height has reached the desired position, the operating lever 10 can be pivoted into the locking position, thereby preventing the piston rod from both vertical movement and rotation. Undesired rotation of the high chair can thus be prevented.

Since the high chair according to the invention is provided with a foldable leg frame in its lower area, it can be very conveniently folded down to a minimal volume.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, the lifting device can be operated hydraulically or by air pressure or even by a screw construction. The number of support legs is not limited to six. Moreover, after studying the above description, the person skilled in the art can easily make modifications with regard to the material and construction. Such modifications are therefore within the scope of the invention and the following claims.

The applicant would also like to emphasise that a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting device has never been used for a high chair for small children, even if such lifting devices are known per se. In view of the disadvantages of existing high chairs, the combination of a hydraulic or other lifting device according to the application therefore represents

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with a folding leg frame, a new and improved high chair which can be operated with less effort and folded to a minimum volume. The invention therefore provides advantages over the prior art, particularly with regard to use, transport and comfort when carrying. The invention is therefore new and involves an inventive step.

Claims (10)

1. High chair with a lifting device, characterized in that the lifting device has a piston rod ( 14 ), an outer tube ( 12 ) and an operating lever ( 10 ) for raising or lowering the piston rod ( 14 ) of the lifting device. 2. High chair, in particular according to claim 1 with a foldable leg frame, comprising: a lifting device with an outer tube ( 12 ), an upper pivoting part ( 20 ) fastened to the outside of the outer tube ( 12 ), a lower pivoting part ( 24 ) and a plurality of support legs pivotally connected to the upper and lower pivoting parts ( 20 , 24 ), each having a main leg ( 25 ) and a secondary leg ( 26 ), wherein the lower pivoting part ( 24 ) is fastened to a sliding sleeve ( 27 ) which is movable along the outer tube ( 12 ) and is designed to fold in and unfold the leg frame. 3. High chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lifting device is a hydraulic, oil-pressure or air-pressure operating or screwable lifting device. 4. High chair according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that an upper end of the piston rod ( 14 ) is provided with holes ( 18 ) for inserting bolts for fastening a seat base to the piston rod ( 14 ). 5. High chair according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a telescopic cover ( 16) is provided on the circumference of the piston rod (14 ) , which can be extended or pushed together according to the raising or lowering of the piston rod ( 14 ). 6. High chair according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a lower section of the outer tube ( 12 ) is provided with a locking body ( 30 ) made of plastic, which has locking lugs ( 32 ) on its circumference, which serve to grip the lower pivoting part ( 24 ) fastened to the sliding sleeve ( 27 ). 7. High chair according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the actuating lever ( 10 ) can be actuated for easy adjustment of the height of a seat base by pressure with one hand or by pedaling with one foot. 8. High chair according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the piston rod ( 14 ) can be fixed in a locking position by pivoting the actuating lever ( 10 ). 9. High chair according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the leg frame contains a plurality of support legs which are pivotally connected to the outer tube ( 12 ) and the sliding sleeve ( 27 ) to form an articulated construction. 10. High chair according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that there are at least three support legs.