DESCRIPTION The present invention refers to a device for measuring babies' height.

During babyhood, it is particularly important to periodically evaluate a baby's growth, both in terms of weight and of height as well as of head circumference.

In the field of babyhood few are the commercially available devices for measuring a baby's height, and those are often inaccurate.

In general, the baby is periodically measured by a paediatrician, who lays him or her on a horizontal plane and uses a suitable instrument for measuring the baby's length. This instrument generally utilizes a first fixed plane and a second movable plane, parallel therebetween and placed orthogonally to a graduated scale. Said first fixed plane is constrained at scale start, whereas said second movable plane can freely slide along the graduated scale. The measuring of the baby's height occurs by placing such an instrument on a horizontal resting plane and then laying the baby onto the measuring instrument, taking care to contact his or her head with the first fixed plane thereof. Then, the paediatrician stretches out the baby's legs and concomitantly brings the second movable plane to slightly press onto the baby's soles; thus, the second movable plane will indicate a reading on the graduated scale.

However, such a device entails the drawback that when the second movable plane is brought to press onto the soles the baby tends to draw back the legs, not allowing an accurate measuring of the actual baby's height and therefore a correct evaluation of his/her development over time.

A further drawback of the device at issue lies in that it has to be positioned on a resting plane each time it is used, oft-times requiring the concomitant presence of at least two persons in order to safely carry out such a measuring; lastly, the instrument, not being constrained to the bearing plane, could be subjected to displacements, caused e.g. by the baby's movements, which could make the measuring of his/her height difficult and uncertain.

Oft-times, paediatricians and parents would rather overcome these drawbacks by using a suitable length of paper, which is used for the visit, to be positioned onto the plane on which the baby is laid, and make use of a pen and a measuring tape to carry out the measuring. Upon laying the baby on the length of paper, the paediatrician marks the position of the head and that of the soles, concomitantly holding the baby still and with the legs stretched out; then, with the tape, the paediatrician measures the distance between the two marks.

By this system the baby's soles are not pressed, yet the presence of at least two persons is required in order to safely and accurately perform the measuring. Moreover, the latter, when carried out at home, would require the constant proximity of a tape to the changing table, where the measuring is carried out, so as to prevent any situation hazardous or uncomfortable to the baby while attempting to get the tape or whatever else is required to carry out said measuring. In addition, the presence of two separate devices, changing table and tape, for measuring a baby's height forces the operator to concomitantly hold the tape and the baby, unavoidably causing hazardous situations. Finally, regardless of the device adopted for measuring a baby's length, if the measuring is carried out by unqualified parties, like e.g. the parents, it will be necessary to consult a paediatrician or appropriate documentation, in order to carry out a subsequent comparison with growth parameters.

The technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide a measuring device for baby of simple use, safe and accurate, which may be used also by an individual and thereby overcoming the drawbacks mentioned hereto with reference to the known art.

Such a problem is solved by a device according to claim 1.

According to the same inventive concept, the present invention further relates to a changing table cabinet according to claims 24 and 25.

Preferred features of the present invention are present in the dependent claims thereof.

It will be understood that in the present context by "growth parameters" it is meant ranges of height, weight and head circumference standard for babies of the same age. The present invention provides several relevant advantages. One of the main advantages lies in that said device allows to carry out a simple and safe measuring of the baby's length also by unqualified persons without requiring the intervention or the presence of others. Moreover, the invention provides a device allowing an immediate self-evaluation of the baby's growth. Other advantages, features and the operation modes of the present invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of a non-limiting example. Reference will be made to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a changing table device

for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with inserted measuring means; figure 2 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a changing table device with head rest for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with inserted measuring means; figure 2A shows a variant of figure 2 comprising means for measuring a baby's head circumference; figure 2B shows a detail of the changing table device of figures 1 and 2 with removable measuring means; figure 3 shows a top view of measuring means according to a preferred embodiment; figure 4 shows a perspective view of the alternative embodiment, of figure 2, of a changing table device for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with removable measuring means; figure 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable cloth-shaped changing table device for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with inserted measuring means; figure 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable cloth-shaped changing table device for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with removable measuring means; figures 7 and 7A show a perspective view of an embodiment of a changing table mat cover device for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with inserted measuring means; figure 8 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a towel device for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention, with removable measuring means; figure 9 is a perspective view of device according to the present invention, equipped with a baby weighing scale; figure 9A is a sectional view of the device of figure 9; figures 10 and 11 refer to a first embodiment of a changing table cabinet for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention; figures 12 and 13 refer to a second embodiment of a changing table cabinet according to the present invention, with measuring means inserted in the cabinet and equipped with a baby weighing scale; and figure 14 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a tear-off length of paper or paper bobbin device for measuring a baby's height according to the present

invention, with inserted measuring means.

With initial reference to figure 1, a device for measuring a baby's height according to the present invention is generally indicated by 1. The device 1 generally comprises measuring means 2 inserted in or removably applicable to a surface 3 apt to the horizontal resting of the baby.

With reference to figure 3, the measuring means 2 may conventionally be implemented by a graduated scale 21, and in a preferred embodiment said measuring means 2 will comprise a plurality of indications of growth parameters 22. Specifically, in the present embodiment the indications of the growth parameters 22 are represented by ranges 23, with the related value of the baby's age to which they refer, side-by-side with said graduated scale 21 so as to define a specific reading scale for each range. In particular, at the two sides of the graduated scale 21 there are a first and a second set of ranges representing male 24 and female 25 growth parameters, respectively, so as to describe their different development. Of course, variant embodiments could provide a graduated scale made according to different units of measure, as well as different growth parameter indicators.

Typically, the surface 3 apt to the horizontal resting of the baby is a changing table 30 (figures 1, 2, 4), a portable changing table cloth-shaped 31 (figures 5 and 6) or inflatable mat-shaped (figure 7), a changing table cover (32), a towel (33) (figure 8), a tear-off length of paper or paper bobbin device (figure 14).

With reference, e.g., to figure 2 the surface 3 apt to the horizontal resting of the baby provides, in an embodiment thereof, a foldable head rest 4 constrained, through a side 40 thereof, to one end 5 of the surface 3. Such a head rest can rotate of about 360° and preferably of about 90° about said side 40 thereof so as to assume a passive configuration and an operating configuration, respectively parallel and orthogonal to the surface 3. The operation of the above-described head rest 4 will be made evident by the description of the related method of use, and precisely within the context of a measuring of a baby's height.

The present device 1 will hereinafter be described by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the changing table 30.

As mentioned above, according to the invention the measuring means 2 may be inserted directly onto the changing table 30 so as to be stably impressed thereon, as it is shown, e.g., in figure 1. In this case, the measuring means 2 may be printed by using, depending on the material onto which they have to be inserted, suitable printing techniques, e.g.: planographic, relief, intaglio, screen process.

Always according to the invention, the measuring means 2 may be removably applicable to the changing table 30 by connection means generally indicated by 6, as shown in figures 2B and 4. Therefore, the connection means 6 is of a reversibly engageable kind. hi the present embodiment, such connection means 6 in turn comprises first means 61 generally integral to the changing table 30 and second means 62 apt to reversibly engage the first means 61 and integral to the measuring means 2.

Said connection means may be made conventionally by using, e.g., Velcro® or snap fasteners. According to a variant embodiment, said measuring means 2 may be removably applicable to the changing table by adhesive material or the like.

As it is shown in figure 2, according to the embodiment comprising the head rest 4, the measuring means 2 have a scale start 211 of the graduated scale 21 coinciding with the side 40 of said head rest 4. Thus, when the head rest 4 is positioned in said operating configuration, it acts as scale start reference 211, thereby allowing to carry out extremely accurate measuring.

Therefore, the modes of employ of the device 1 will by now have been made evident; hereinafter they will anyhow be briefly described with reference to the application of the device 1 for measuring a baby's height.

First of all, the baby is laid onto the changing table 30, taking care to position his or her head at the scale start 211 of the graduated scale 21; in the case of an embodiment comprising the head rest 4, the baby will be laid onto the changing table

30 taking care to contact the baby's head with the head rest 4 in its operating position. Thus, an operator stretching out the baby's legs will suffice to have the immediate and correct measuring of the baby's height with no need of additional manoeuvres or instruments. In the embodiment in which the measuring means 2 comprises also said indications of growth parameters 22, it will be appreciated that also an unqualified operator could immediately check the baby's development.

According to a further embodiment, the measuring means 2 comprises means 26 for measuring a baby's head circumference, applied or removably applicable to the surface 3. With reference to figure 2A, the means 26 for measuring a baby's head circumference may be implemented by a graduated band of flexible material. Thus, resting the baby's head at the graduated band will suffice to obtain a correct measuring of the head circumference.

All of the features described hereto with reference to the hereto-considered embodiment:

- device 1, characterized in that it comprises measuring means 2 inserted in or removably applicable to a surface 3 apt to the horizontal resting of the baby, wherein said surface 3 is a changing table 30; are all comprised in the above-mentioned embodiments, wherein said surface 3 may alternatively be:

- a portable changing table 31, cloth-shaped (figures 5 and 6) or inflatable mat- shaped;

- _. a changing table cover 32 (figure 7);

- a towel 33 (figure 8); or - a tear-off length of paper (figure 14).

It will be appreciated that, in the embodiment comprising measuring means removably applicable to the surface 3, said means could advantageously be replaced each time according to the desired scale and/or the parameters that are to be assessed.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the device 1 of the present invention is of simple and economical construction and of easy use.

It will be understood that the present invention is susceptible of several other embodiments and variants alternative to what has been described hereto, some of which are briefly illustrated herein with reference to the sole aspects differentiating them from what has been disclosed hereto. As it is illustrated in figures 9 and 9 A, the device 1 for measuring a baby's height can comprise a surface 3 characterized in that it incorporates means 50, 51 for measuring a baby's weight, e.g. a weighing scale, preferably electronic. Hence, in this alternative context "growth parameters" is meant to indicate ranges of heights and of weight standard for babies of the same age. It will be appreciated that in this alternative embodiment to obtain the correct weight of the baby it will suffice to operate the weighing scale, upon placing him or her onto the surface 3. Therefore, it will not be necessary to avail oneself of plural separate devices in order to obtain a complete evaluation of the baby's weight and height, thereby avoiding transfers from one device to another that usually cause discomfort to the baby. With reference to figures 10 and 11, the present invention provides a changing table cabinet 10 comprising a cabinet structure 11 and a device 1 for measuring a baby's height.

Lastly, with reference to figures 12 and 13, the present invention further relates to a changing table cabinet 100 comprising a changing table 30 and a cabinet structure 11

characterized in that it has measuring means 2 inserted in or removably applicable to a wall 111 thereof. Also in said latter embodiment there can advantageously be provided means for measuring the baby's weight, in particular an electronic weighing scale incorporated in the cabinet structure 11, in a manner such that the pan 51 be accessible onto the top resting surface of the latter, hi such a case, the weighing of the baby should be carried out directly on the cabinet and not on the changing table. Alternatively, the same changing table could be an integral part of the weighing scale and act as pan, thereby allowing to measure the baby's weight directly from the changing table. The present invention has hereto been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that other embodiments afferent to the same inventive kernel may exist, all falling within the protective scope of the appended claims.