US2928457A - Baby chair-bed - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1960 M. D. WELSH BABY CHAIR-BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1958 INVENTOR.

MATILDA D. WELSH a4, MZQM ATTORNEYS March 15, 1960 M. D. WELSH 2,928,457

BABY CHAIR-BED Filed April 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '------"-"127 "-91 37 4o Frai- 45 a, 5| 6 1| a I'll E r: w

FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

MATI LDA .D. WELSH CJM, WM

ATTQRNEYS United s r s Pa en .0

2,928,457 BABY CHAIR-BED Matilda D. Welsh, Ladue, Mo. 7

Application April 24, 1958, Serial No. 730,625

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-45) This invention relates generally to improvements in a baby chair-bed, and more particularly to improved mechanism for selectively converting the device to either a chair or a bed. An important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that enables the hinged body-supporting members to be moved selectively and easily to either a folded chair position or to an extended bed position, and which effectively supports and retains the members in those positions.

Another important object is achieved by the provision of hangers pivotally connected to spaced side panels and to the body-supporting means disposed between the side panels, the hangers being adapted selectively to move and to retain the body-supporting means in either the folded chair or extended bed position.

Still another important object is realized by the provision of a hanger in the assembly previously discussed which is located in a substantially vertical plane substantially immediately below the hinge axis of the seat and back members comprising the body-supporting means when such members are extended to the bed position so as to provide a more rigid support.

Yet another important object is realized by the provision of a second hanger in the aforesaid assembly which is located in a substantially horizontal plane when the body members are extended to the bed position so as to preclude unintentional movement of the first hanger from the vertical plane and to prevent unintentional collapse of the body-supporting members.

Other important advantages are realized by the provi-,

sion of inturned shoulders on the hangers at the pivotal connection of such hangers to the side panels, the inturned shoulders supporting the body-supporting members in the adjusted, folded or extended positions.

Another important object is to provide an item of the type described which is of simple durable construction, economical to manufacture and assemble, efficient in operation, and which is quickly and easily converted to either a chair or a bed.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment,

particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the baby chair-bed showing the device converted to a chair;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in cross section, of

the chair assembly as seen along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a side panel as seen along line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ba'bychair-bed illus trating the device in the converted bed position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partly in cross section,of

the bed assembly as seen along line 5 -5 of Fig. 4', the hanger'being shown in dashed and full lines together with indicating arrows to show the different positions assumed ice converting the device to chair or bed, and

' Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the hardware interconnecting the side panels and supporting the back and seat members.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, it is seen that the baby chair-bed includes spaced side panels 10 and 11 arranged in vertical parallel relation. Disposed between panels 10 and 11 is a body-supporting mfeans generally indicated at 12 that includes a back-rest member 13 and a seat member 14 hinged together by a pair of hinges 15. It is seen that the hinge axis 16 (Fig.2) provided by hinges ex- The side panels 10 and 11 are constructed as shown in Fig. 3. A board 17 of relatively stilr rigid material is covered on the inner side with a relatively soft cushion layer 20 adapted to protect the child when placed on the body-supporting means 12 between the panels 10-11. A cover 21 is placed over the cushion layer 20 and rigid board 17. Preferably, the cover 21 is of a washable plastic material, and may have decorative features which improve the aesthetic appearance of the article.

The back and seat members 1314 are similarly constructed and upholstered. As best seen in Fig. 2, the back member 13 is formed of a rigid board 22 on which a layer 23 of soft resilient'material is attached. Similarly, the seat member 14 is formed of a rigid board 24 on which a layer 25 of soft resilient cushion material is attached. A cover 26 is'disposed over the cushion layers 23 and 25 of back member 13 and seat member 14 respectively, the cover 26 being' held in position by end pockets 27 and '30 fitted over the outer ends of back member 13 and seat member 14 respectively.

A seat belt 31 (Fig. l) is attached to the back member 13, and is utilized as a safety precaution to hold the child in place on the body-supporting means 12.

Located at the rear end (left hand side in Figs. 2 and 5) of the device is a U-shaped bracket 32 that is located between and attached to side panels 1011. Supported by and bridging the upper ends of U-shaped bracket 32 is a bar 33 upon which the back member 13 seats when the body-supporting means 12 is extended to the bed position as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Another bar 34 located. forwardly of support bar 33 extends between and is attached to the side panels 10-11. As is illustrated in Fig. 2, the bar 34 serves to support and position the back member 13 when the body-supporting means 12 is folded to the chair position.

A U-shaped bracket 35 is disposed between and attached to the side panels 1011. Pivotally attached to the upper ends of bracket 35 and to panels 10-11 is a U-shaped hanger 36. The intermediate portion 37 of hanger 36 is pivotally attached to seat member 14 by a pair of connectors 40. It will be particularly noted that the pivot axis provided by hanger portion 37 is located substantially immediately below and parallel to the transverse hinge axis. 16.

' Perhaps as best seen in Fig. 6, the hanger 36 is provided with shoulder portions 41 extending inwardly from the pivot connection of the hanger 36 with the bracket 35 and side panels 1011, the shoulders 41 serving to seat and support the seat member 14 when such member 14 is disposed in the folded chair position illustrated in Fig. 2.

' Located at the forward end (right hand side of Fig. and Fig. 5) of the baby chair-bed is a U-shaped bracket" otally connected to the upper ends of bracket 42 and to side panels 10- 11. The intermediate hanger portion 44 is pivbtally connected by a pair of connectors 45 to the 7 seat member 14.

The hanger 43 is provided with shoulders 46 extending inwardly from the pivot connection with the brackets 42 and side panels, the shoulders 46 semi" to en a e and support the seat member 14 when the sen member;

so that access is had to the handles47. The handles 47 maybe conveniently iitilized to lift the device fortransp r from nepla eto anq h It will beparticularly noted that the pivotconnection 50 (Fig. of hang'er43is located above the .pivot connection 51 of hanger 36, and is preferably located in substantially the same horizontal plane with the pivot axis provided by hanger portion 37 when the body-supporting means 12 is extended to the bed position.

When the body-supporting means 12 is folded to the chair position shown in Fig. 2, the hangers 36 and 43 assume the inclined position illustrated, the hangers 36--'43 being aligned in the same plane. In this chair position, the seat member 14 engages and seats on the hanger shoulders 41 and 46. The back member 13 ll. gages and seats on the support bar 34.

If it is desired to conver't'the device to a bed as illustrated in Figs'.'4 and 5, the body-supporting means 12 is moved to the bed position as permitted by hangers 36 and 43. As best illustrated in Fig. 5,; the hanger- 36 tween said panels including a back-rest member and seat member hinged together along'an axis extending transversely of said panels so that the members can be selectively'extended to a bed position and folded to a chair position, a first U-shaped hanger pivotally secured to said side panels and pivotally connected to said seat member along a pivot axis extendingbelow and parallel to the transverse hinge axis and in the same vertical plane, said first hanger extending substantially vertical when said members are hingedly extended as the bed position, a

second U-shaped hanger pivotally connected to said side panels above the pivot connection of the first said hanger Y to said side anels, the second hangerbeing pivotally connected tosaid seat member along an-axis parallel to said hinge axis, the pivot connection of said second hanger to said side panels being in'a substantially horizontal plane with the pivot connectionof said first hanger a to said seat-membeiflwhen the members are disposed in moves from the position shown in dotted lines upwardly V to the vertical position shown in full lines. The hanger 43 moved from the position shown in dotted lines up-. wardly and downwardly to the horizontal position shown in full lines.

In the bed position of the body-supportingmeans 12, the hanger 36 is disposed in a vertical plane immediately below and aligned with transverse hinge axis 16', thus supporting the back and seat members 1314 at their hinge 43 upwardly and rearwardly. However, it is seen that this action cannot be accomplished unintentionally as long as a weight is disposed on and supported by seatmember 14.

As suggested prev1ously, if it is desired to convert the body-supporting means 12 from the bed position-shown in Fig. 5 to the folded chair position showninFig. 2, the seat member 14 is lifted and moved re'arwa'rdly as permitted by hanger 43. Simultaneously, the back andseat members 13-44 are foldedabout the hinge axis 16 and are moved to the inclined position shown in} Fig. 21 Upon converting'the body suppoi'tin'g means to th'chldir pest tion, the hangers- 36 -43 move from the positions shown in fulllines in Fig; 5, to the positions strewn in dotted lines in Fig. 5 or in full lines in Fig; 2'; I.

v Although the invention has been described by detailed reference to'& single preferred embodiment, such detail is to be understood in an instructive, rather than within the seopeflef the claims hereunder appended; I, claim as'myinv'e'ritioni 1-. A baby chair-bed comprisisg'sia'aariis; hear iii-'. terconnec'ting' saidl panels for maintainingthe panelsn in spaced relation;"a eody-sri penieg meaas he;

angthe bed position, the @said second, hanger being disposed horizontally when the friembers are hingedly extended to the bed position to preclude unintentional folding about the hinge, axis, and means attached to said side panels supporting said members in each 'of said bed and chair,

positions. 3 V

2 Abab'y chair-bed comprising side panels,.means ih'terconnect'ing said panel for maintaining .the panels in spiced relation, a body-supporting means disposed be tween said panelsincluding a backrest member and a "afis erser efi aia panels that u the rne'mbers- ,can be selectively extendedto a bed position and. folded to a chair ,positiongja first hanger meafis pi bmny secured to,

said side panels and pivotallyl c'onnected to said seat memher along a pivot axis extending parallel to the transverse hinge axis'gsaid first hanger means extending substatially v rticnwhe said t'n'er'nbers are hingedly extended tothebed position, asecondhangefr' means pivotally connected to said: side panels above the pivot connection of the firstlianger' means to said side panels, the second hinger'in'eansbeing pivotally connected to said seat memher along ,an axis, parallel t'ofsaid hinge axls, the pivot connectionof said second hanger means to said side panels being in a substantially,horizontal plane withthe pivot con'nectionof said first hanger r'nea'nslto s'aidseatmem tier when the members are disposed in the bed position, the said second hanger' means being disposed horizontally when the members arehingedly extended to, the bed position to preclude"unintentioiialflfolding about the hinge chair position, a first hanger pivotally secured to each side panel and pivotally conn'ectedto onelof said membersalong axis antially vertically b'elow and parallelto the transver hinge axisfor movingthe body- Supporting me second hanger being disposed horizontally when said I members are-extendeet the he'd position so as to preelude pnintentioiial"folding? about said hinge, axis, the pivotconnection' of said second-hanger to said side panels being locatejdiaboiie said'pivot'fconnection" of the first said hanger to: said side-panels, and being-located substantially in the sarne horizontal'plane with the pivotv connection of a fi st hanser. w h. theb d -sup o n m m wh the first hanger is located in substantially vertical relaseat memser. hinged together al'ong anfaxis extending,

a sfto sal bed and chair positions, said] first liangerextending' sublq fitially vertical when in said e fi t gt to 'id'es pporjt i e y atthe hinge tion, and means attached to said side panels for supporting the body-supporting means in bed and chair positions.

4. 'A baby chair-bed comprising side panels, means interconnecting said panels for maintaining the panels in spaced relation, a body-supporting means disposed between said panels including a back-rest member and a seat member hinged together along an axis extending transversely of said panels so that the said members can be selectively extended to a bed position or folded to a chair position, a first hanger of substantially U-shape having outer ends pivotally attached to the side panels and having web portions pivotally attached to one of said members along an axis substantially vertically below and parallel to the transverse hinge axis for moving the body-supporting means to said bed and chair positions, said first hanger extending substantially vertical when in said bed position so as to provide support directly at the hinge axis, a second hanger of substantially U-shape having outer ends pivotally secured to the side panels and having a web portion pivotally connected to 20 one of said members along an axis extending parallel to said transverse hinge axis, said second hanger being disposed horizontally when said members are extended to the bed position so as to preclude unintentional folding about said hinge axis, said hangers including inwardly extending portions at the pivot connections to said side panels engaging the underside of said body-supporting means to support the means in the folded chair position and in the extended bed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,789,337 Knabusch et a1. Jan. 20, 1931 2,279,286 Bell Apr. 7, 1942 2,281,085 Bell Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 168,686 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1921 472,519 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1937 1,128,028 France Aug. 20, 1956

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