The present patent application relates to an infant chair designed for mounting on a base chair. The present invention also relates to a chair assembly which, when assembled, comprises an infant chair and base chair. The infant chair may also be designed so that in addition to being adapted for mounting to another infant chair or an ordinary chair, it can also function as a stable infant chair or a cradle when the infant chair is placed on a flat surface, as for instance a floor.

A multitude of infant chairs are available in today's market. These chairs are configured in many different ways, but one feature they have in common is that they have been developed for particular age groups. This means that parents must buy more chairs as the infant becomes older and grows out of the chair he/she last used. Often there will also be a need for different types of chairs for the infant, for example, a high chair in which the infant can sit when he/she is to be seated at a dining table together with his/her parents, a lower sitting chair that can be placed on the floor, a rocking chair in which the infant can be rocked, a chair in which the infant can sleep etc. From the time the infant is born until he/she is able to sit in chairs that are designed for adults, it may easily be necessary to purchase numerous chairs, which can be costly.

Infant chairs of different types are disclosed in US 5951 102 A, US 6286844 B 1 , US 5676386 A and GB 2380663 A.

An object of the present invention has therefore been to provide a solution capable of reducing the required number of infant chairs that an infant will need in the course of his/her infant and toddler years, or of extending the period of time in which the infant can use one infant chair.

It has also been an object of the present invention to provide an infant chair that takes up little space and which can be mounted on different types of chairs that are available in most homes.

It has also been an object of the present invention to provide an infant chair that will be able to function as different types of infant chairs.

These objects are met by means of an infant chair as defined in independent claim 1 and a chair assembly as defined in independent claim 10. Additional embodiments of the infant chair are defined in dependent claims 2-9, whilst further embodiments of the chair assembly are defined in dependent claims 1 1-21.

The base chair to which the infant chair is designed to be fastened may be a chair made for adults. The base chair may also be a chair that is designed for infants, for example, chairs that are made to be adjustable as the infant becomes older, thereby allowing the infant to use the same chair at least through a number of his/her infant and toddler years. An example of such a chair is the SITTI chair which has been developed by Peter Opsvik AS, and which is configured with a central structure that supports a footboard, a seat and a backrest. Another example of such a chair is the Tripp-Trapp chair that is manufactured by Stokke AS and is configured with upright side members that support a footboard, a seat and a backrest.

An infant chair is provided that is adapted to be fastened to a base chair. The base chair may be a chair that is designed for adults or another infant chair, for example, the Tripp-Trapp chair from Stokke or the SITTI chair from Peter Opsvik AS as mentioned above. Other types of chairs may also conceivably be used as the base chair.

The infant chair comprises a chair part having an upper chair part portion and a lower chair part portion, and the infant chair is configured such that the chair parts can be adjusted between a lying position and a sitting position for an infant.

Basically, the upper chair part portion of the infant chair will extend from about where the infant's stomach will be located to the top of the chair part whilst the lower chair part portion will extend from about where the infant's stomach will be located to the bottom of the chair part.

The infant chair further comprises at least one supporting element or stay which has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the supporting element is pivotally fastened to the infant chair's chair part, preferably to the lower chair part portion. This will give the greatest scope for moving the infant chair between the sitting position and the lying position, but of course the first end portion of the supporting element could be fastened to the upper chair part portion if so desired. The second end portion of the supporting element is preferably adapted for pivotal and detachable fastening to the base chair.

The second end portion of the supporting element preferably comprises one lower fastening device, which lower fastening device is adapted to be fastened detachably to the base chair. The lower fastening device may, for example, be configured with a rib element that is arranged to slide into a corresponding groove on the base chair, for example, in a column that extends along parts of or the whole of the length

(height) of the base chair or a chair leg. Alternatively, the lower fastening device may comprise a sleeve that can slide up and down along a part of the base chair, for example, a column or a chair leg as mentioned above. The lower fastening device preferably also comprises a locking or clamping device capable of locking or clamping the lower fastening device to the base chair. This may, for example, be a screw, a bolt, a clamping device or the like that is screwed or clamped tight when the lower fastening device is in a desired position.

The lower fastening device further comprises a rotary device such as a swivel, a bolt or the like that allows the supporting element to turn or rotate in relation to the base chair when the lower fastening device is moved upwards or downwards. The lower fastening device may be arranged on the second end portion of the supporting element and configured such that it can be detachably fastened to the base chair. Alternatively, the lower fastening device may be arranged on the base chair. In that case, the lower fastening device and the second end portion of the supporting element may be adapted such that the second end portion of the supporting element can be detachably fastened to the lower fastening device.

The infant chair is preferably provided with one or two supporting elements, but may be provided with three or more supporting elements if so desired. If the infant chair is configured with two supporting elements, each supporting element can be provided with its respective lower fastening device, which in turn can be adapted to move up and down along its respective part of the base chair, for example, its respective chair leg. Alternatively, two or more chair legs may be connected to a single lower fastening device that is adapted to move up and down a part of the base chair, for example, a central column. In both cases, the lower fastening

elements/element may be arranged on the base chair whilst the supporting elements may be detachably fastened to the fastening element/elements.

Furthermore, the upper chair part portion of the infant chair is preferably adapted for pivotal and detachable fastening to the base chair. The upper chair part portion therefore preferably comprises at least one upper fastening device that is adapted to be fastened detachably to the base chair. It will be necessary to have a pivotal fastening of the chair part of the infant chair to the base chair since the chair part of the infant chair pivots about this point of attachment when the position of the infant chair is changed from a sitting position for the infant to a lying position. There are a great number of different types of fastening devices that can be used to enable the upper chair part portion of the infant chair to be fastened detachably to the base chair and at the same time allow the upper chair part portion of the infant chair to be pivotally fastened to the base chair. The at least one upper fastening device may, for example, comprise an adjustable strap, tape, belt or the like that can be passed around the base chair or a part of the base chair and fastened to the upper chair part portion of the infant chair with the aid of a hook-and-loop fastener, snap fasteners or the like at one or both ends. There is thus obtained a detachable and sufficiently pivotal fastening of the chair part of the infant chair to the base chair.

Alternatively, both ends may be fixedly connected to the upper chair part portion of the infant chair, thereby forming a loop or eye that can be hooked onto a suitable part of the base chair, for example, upwardly projecting side members or the like. Instead of one or more loops, the upper chair part portion of the infant chair may optionally be provided with one or more pockets or hook devices that are hooked onto the back part or side members of the base chair so that the chair part of the infant chair is at the same time pivotal. Other fastening devices may also conceivably be used, for example, one or more clamping devices which are clamped to the base chair. It is also conceivable that the upper fastening device is configured in the same way as the lower fastening device. That is to say that the upper fastening device is adapted to slide up and down in a corresponding groove in one or more parts of the base chair. It is conceivable, for instance, that two upper fastening devices are fastened to either the infant chair or the base chair so that the infant chair is detachably fastened to the base chair, and where the two upper fastening devices are adapted to slide up and down in their respective groove arranged in two side members. When there is just one upper fastening device, it can be adapted to slide up and down in a corresponding groove in a central column of the base chair. Alternatively, one or more sleeves may be used that surround, for example, the central column of the base chair or the two side members of the base chair, depending on the design of the base chair.

If the infant chair comprises two or more supporting elements, they may be configured as rockers, thereby allowing the infant chair to function as a cradle when the infant chair is not fastened to the base chair and is placed on a flat surface.

The at least one supporting element may alternatively be configured so that it can support the chair part of the infant chair, thereby allowing the chair part to assume a sitting position on a flat surface when the infant chair is not fastened to the base chair.

In an assembled position of the infant chair and the base chair, the infant chair comprises at least one supporting element having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being pivotally fastened to the chair part of the infant chair and the second end portion being pivotally fastened to the base chair by means of at least one lower fastening device. The upper chair part portion is pivotally fastened to the base chair by means of at least one upper fastening device, and the at least one upper fastening device and the at least one lower fastening device are movably arranged in relation to one another so that the position of the chair part of the infant chair can be adjusted between a lying position and a sitting position.

The base chair comprises, in an embodiment, a central chair column with one or more grooves in which the at least one lower fastening device and/or the at least one upper fastening device are slidably arranged.

In an embodiment, the base chair comprises a seat part that can be moved up and down in relation to the rest of the chair, where the at least one lower fastening device either is configured as a part of the seat part or is fastened to the seat part. Alternatively, the base chair may comprise a footrest part that can be adjusted up and down in relation to the rest of the base chair, where the at least one lower fastening device is configured as a part of the footrest part or is fastened to the footrest part.

The chair part of the infant chair can preferably be adjusted steplessly to all positions between the lying position and the sitting position, but it is also an option that the chair part of the infant chair can be adjusted step by step to a number of positions between the lying position and the sitting position.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the figures, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a sitting position for the infant.

Figure 2 shows the first embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a lying position for the infant.

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a sitting position for the infant.

Figure 4 shows the second embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a lying position for the infant.

Figure 5 shows the infant chair as shown in Figures 1-4, where the infant chair is used as a cradle alone on a flat surface.

Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a sitting position for the infant.

Figure 7 shows the third embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a lying position for the infant.

Figure 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a sitting position for the infant.

Figure 9 shows the fourth embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a lying position for the infant.

Figure 10 shows the infant chair as shown in Figures 6-9, where the infant chair is used as a cradle alone on a flat surface.

Figure 1 1 shows a fifth embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a sitting position for the infant.

Figure 12 shows the fifth embodiment of the infant chair fastened to a base chair and adjusted to a lying position for the infant. A number of different embodiments of the invention are described below. The different embodiments are, however, quite similar and the same reference numerals are therefore used to indicate the same or similar technical features of the different embodiments.

In common for all the embodiments shown in Figures 1-10 is that the chair assembly 10 comprises a base chair 12 and an infant chair 16 that is fastened to the base chair. The base chair 12 comprises a column 13 that projects up from a base 14. Arranged on the column 13 are a footrest part 39 and a seat part 36, both of which are arranged to be movable up and down along the column 14. There are also provided locking means 37 for the seat part and 40 for the footrest part for locking the seat part and the footrest part in a desired position.

The base chair also comprises a back part 33 which at an upper edge is configured with an upwardly projecting back part 34 to which the infant chair 16 can be fastened with the aid of an upper fastening device 21 , for example a hood or a loop that is slipped down onto the upward projecting back part 34.

The infant chair 16 comprises a chair part 17 having an upper chair part portion 18 and a lower chair part portion 19. The infant chair further comprises a supporting element 28, for example, a stay, having a first end portion 29 that is pivotally fastened to the lower chair part portion 19 of the infant chair 16 with the aid of a chair part fastening device 31 and pivotally fastened to a fastening device 22 on the base chair 12. By moving the fastening device 22 up or down along the column 13 of the base chair 12, the infant chair can be adjusted from a lying position to a sitting position for an infant that is placed in the infant chair 16.

The difference between the different embodiments of the invention that are illustrated resides primarily in where the lower fastening device 22 is arranged on the base chair 12.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-2 the fastening device 22 is arranged on the seat part 36 of the base chair 12 or is configured as an integral part of the seat part 36. In Figure 1 the infant chair is shown in a sitting position, whilst by moving the seat part 36 downwards, the infant chair 16 is moved into a lying position as shown in Figure 2.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 3-4 the fastening device 22 is arranged on the footrest part 39 of the base chair 12 or is configured as an integral part of the footrest part 39. In Figure 3 the infant chair is shown in a sitting position, whilst by moving the footrest part 39 downwards, the infant chair 16 is moved to a lying position as shown in Figure 4. In Figure 1-5 the infant chair 16 is shown with supporting elements that are curved so as to form rockers. The infant chair 16 can thus be used as a cradle when it is not fastened to the base chair 12 as shown in Figure 5.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 6-7 the fastening device 22 is arranged on the column 13 of the base chair 12. In Figure 6 the infant chair is shown in a sitting position, whilst by moving the fastening device 22 upwards along the column 13 of the base chair 12, the infant chair 16 is moved to a lying position as shown in Figure 7.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 8-9 the fastening device 22 is arranged on the seat part 36 of the base chair 12 or is configured as an integral part of the seat part 36. In Figure 8 the infant chair is shown in a sitting position, whilst by moving the seat part 36 downwards, the infant chair 16 is moved to a lying position as shown in Figure 9.

In Figures 6-10 the supporting element 28 is configured as a straight stay. There is otherwise no difference from the embodiment in Figures 1-4. Figure 10 shows that the infant chair can be used as a sitting chair with the supporting element 28 supporting the infant chair when it is placed on a flat underlying surface.

Figures 1 1 and 12 show a slightly different embodiment of the infant chair as it is configured with a rigid plate element 38 which rests against the front edge of the seat part 36. By moving the seat part 36 up or down along the column 13 of the base chair 12, the infant chair can be moved from a sitting position as shown in Figure 1 1 to a lying position as shown in Figure 12.