U.S. patent application number 12/996134 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-28 for device for a child's chair.
This patent application is currently assigned to STOKKE AS. Invention is credited to Hilde Angelfoss.
Application Number | 20110095593 12/996134 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41398284 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110095593 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Angelfoss; Hilde |
April 28, 2011 |
DEVICE FOR A CHILD'S CHAIR
Abstract
A glider device for a leg of a chair, especially a leg of a
chair for a children's chair, comprising a plate which comprises at
least one fastening opening and wherein the plate has one smooth
underside and a topside, characterized in that it may be fastened
in at least two different length positions in relation to the leg
of the chair it is fastened to, and that it in both positions has a
horizontal extent which is larger than the area it covers on the
leg of the chair. A safety kit comprising the glider device and the
use of the same is also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Angelfoss; Hilde; (Skodje,
NO) |
Assignee: |
STOKKE AS
Skodje
NO
|
Family ID: |
41398284 |
Appl. No.: |
12/996134 |
Filed: |
May 29, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
May 29, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/NO09/00205 |
371 Date: |
December 3, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/463.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47D 1/004 20130101;
A47C 7/002 20130101; A47B 91/06 20130101; F16L 15/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/463.1 |
International
Class: |
A47D 15/00 20060101
A47D015/00; A47C 31/00 20060101 A47C031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 4, 2008 |
NO |
20082491 |
Claims
1. A glider device for a leg of a chair, comprising: a plate having
one smooth underside and a topside, the plate comprising at least
one fastening opening, the plate configured such that when fastened
to the leg of the chair the plate may be fastened in at least two
different length positions in relation to the leg of the chair, and
further that in both positions the plate has a horizontal extent
which is larger than the area it covers on the leg of the
chair.
2. The glider device according to claim 1, wherein the gliding
device is horizontally extended in comparison to an original glider
or spacer on the leg of the chair.
3. The glider device according to claim 1, wherein the topside of
the plate comprises raised edges.
4. The glider device according to claim 1, wherein the plate
comprises two or more fastening openings.
5. The glider device according to claim 4, wherein the fastening
openings have conical edges which open towards the underside of the
plate.
6. The glider device according to claim 1, adapted for permanent
attachment in an existing hole on the underside of the chair leg,
further comprising an anchoring element adapted for permanent
attachment in the existing hole, the anchoring element optionally
including fastening elements.
7. The glider device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening
openings are connected by an open track.
8. The glider device according to claim 3, wherein the raised edges
comprise longitudinal edges which partly or completely cover the
right and left side edges of the gliding device.
9. The glider device according to claim 8 wherein the raised edges
partially or completely cover a transverse end edge of the glider
device.
10. The glider device according to claim 8, wherein at least parts
of the right and left raised edges bear against the vertical parts
of the leg of a chair in an extended position.
11. The glider device according to claim 1, wherein the underside
of the gliding device has a lower friction coefficient than the
underside of the leg of a chair on equivalent surfaces.
12. A safety kit for a children's chair, comprising: two glider
devices according to claim 1, two anchoring elements and two
fastening elements.
13. The use of a glider device according to claim 1, as a safety
device on a children's chair to reduce the friction between the
chair's rear leg and a support.
14. The use of a safety kit according to claim 12, to move the
tilting point for the chair rearward in relation to the tilting
point of the chair itself.
15. The glider device according to claim 1, wherein the leg of the
chair is the leg for a children's chair.
16. The glider device according to claim 5, wherein the fastening
openings are conical screw holes.
17. The glider device according to claim 6, wherein the fastening
element is a nut plug and the fastening element is a screw.
18. The glider device according to claim 17, wherein the fastening
element is a screw with countersinkable head.
19. The glider device according to claim 7, wherein the fastening
openings are connected by an open track.
20. The glider device according to claim 19, wherein the open track
has the same or smaller width than the diameter of the fastening
opening.
21. The glider device according to claim 20, wherein the open track
has vertical walls.
22. The safety kit of claim 12, further comprising two replacement
gliders being narrower than said glider devices, such that the
replacement gliders have substantially the same outer dimensions as
an original standard glider supplied with the children's chair.
23. The use of a safety kit according to claim 12 as a safety
device on a children's chair to reduce the friction between the
chair's rear leg and a soft support.
24. The use of a safety kit according to claim 23, wherein the soft
support includes carpeting.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] A rapid development has taken place in the level of
equipment in private homes over the last years, especially
concerning upgrades and new purchases of electronic devices and
aids. In a large degree, this development takes place in the
dayrooms of a home, such as the living room or in the kitchen.
[0002] In this connection, it has been observed that parents to a
larger extent than before, are disturbed by external influence,
such as by their own or other family members cell phones, TVs,
video, computers, internet, wireless phones, videogames etc.
[0003] I addition, several families have a more tight time schedule
than before, where both parent work for example, and need to attend
to several duties simultaneously and/or in a shorter time, such as
house work like cleaning, laundering, dishwashing and especially
cooking, simultaneously as helping children with homework, making
appointments, checking e-mail, text messages and answer machines,
etc. Moreover, more adults are in an increasing degree in contact
with work from home.
[0004] This increased activity and degree of disturbance at home,
makes focus shift away from a child sitting in a children's chair,
such as at meals, which for example are taken in the kitchen or the
living room. By proper use of a children's chair, the parents
should always have full attention on the child, as long as it sits
in the chair.
[0005] In addition, there is also observed an increase in
children's chairs being placed and used in unfortunate
surroundings, such as on soft or thick carpets, possibly on several
layers of carpets as well as against tables with a tall edge etc.
The reason for this may be varied, but may for example be due to
meals being moved to the most used dayroom such as the living room,
where the furnishing is not particularly suited for the use of
children's high chairs, or for example that the nowadays popular
concept of a table in "bar counter" height is used as the kitchen
table, even though it is not suited for use together with high
children's chairs.
[0006] The disadvantage of the reduced focus and attention on a
child in the children's chair is of course that the child can make
movements leading to the chair being overturned. In the user guides
for children's chairs it is clearly made attention to that a child
never should be left unattended in a children's chair without the
supervision of an adult. This especially concerns children secured
by harness or in other manners to a children's chair. A soft
support will for example obviously give any chair less stability
and increase the risk of overturning. Further, a tall table edge
will provide a child sitting in a high children's chair a better
possibility of pushing itself away from the edge of the table, and
more importantly the pushing force will be directed more downward
towards the rear legs of the chair, and this will lead to increased
possibility for tilting of the chair because the pushing force
strains the rear legs of the chair down towards the floor surface.
If the children's chair is placed on a soft support, or a support
with high friction, the child will have an even better opportunity
to strain the chair firmly against the floor and by so doing
tilting the chair backwards, in stead of the chair gliding
backwards like some chairs of prior art are meant to do.
PRIOR ART
[0007] Such a chair is the Tripp Trapp.RTM. chair from Stokke A S,
which has standard gliders as safety devices in plastic in each
corner on the underside of the chair, so that the chair glides away
from the table when the child pushes itself from a normal dining
table top. In normal use according to the user guide, the security
is preserved and satisfies all safety regulations, but the problem
is that the user guides are not always complied with and that the
products thereby are used in a wrong manner. Lack of supervision of
the child when it sits in the chair is an improper use which may
lead to the child tilting the chair.
[0008] JP 10234503 shows a contact piece for mounting in one single
position on the underside of the front end of a horizontal leg rod,
which projects slightly further forward than the end of the leg
rod, to prevent forward tilting of the chair.
[0009] DE 3,224,806 shows a right angled or T-formed glider, for
mounting on the underside of corner joints of furniture in a fixed
position.
OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The objective of the invention is to provide a device to
increase the safety in children's chairs, beyond the safety
regulations, and to reduce the chance of improper use of the chair
leading to danger for the child.
[0011] Further, the objective of the invention is to provide such a
device, which may reduce the danger that may follow from wrongful
use of the chair, wherein the chair may be changed back to its
original form without making physical, permanent changes in the
chair. The chair should be possible to return to its original form
and state or to an approximately original state, wherein the device
is not distinctive on the chair, but easily may be reused with
minimal assembly work.
[0012] The objective is to provide an extended backward directed
support along and past the chairs rear leg parts and the
possibility for adjustment of the chair both in relation to the
child in the chair, such as according to the age of the child, as
well as according to the support. Further, such an extended support
should provide minimal influence of the ability to navigate behind
the chair, so that no one trips in such a supporting device.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The invention thus concerns a glider device according to
claim 1.
[0014] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a glider device for a leg of a chair, especially a leg of
a chair for a children's chair, comprising a plate which comprises
at least one fastening opening and wherein the plate has one smooth
underside and a topside, characterized in that it may be fastened
in at least two different length positions in relation to the leg
of the chair it is fastened to, and that it in both positions has a
horizontal extent which is larger than the area it covers on the
leg of the chair.
[0015] Further advantageous embodiments appear form the dependent
claims.
[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
therefore provided a glider device mentioned above, wherein the
gliding device is a horizontal extended glider in relation to an
original glider or spacer on the leg of the chair. The topside of
the plate may comprise raised edges and may comprise two or more
fastening openings. The fastening openings may have conical edges
which open towards the underside of the plate, preferably wherein
the fastening openings are conical screw holes. The glider device
may comprise an anchoring element for permanent attachment in an
existing hole on the underside of the leg of a chair, and possibly
thereto belonging fastening elements, preferably wherein the
fastening element is a nut plug and the fastening element is a
screw, more preferably wherein the fastening element is a screw
with countersinkable head.
[0017] In one embodiment the fastening openings are connected by an
open track, preferably the track has the same or smaller width than
the diameter of the fastening opening, more preferably the track
has vertical walls. Further, the raised edges may comprise
longitudinal edges which partly or completely cover the right and
left side edges of the gliding device, the raised edges may also
cover a transverse end edge of the glider device, partly or
completely, preferably continuously with the left and right side
edges. At least parts of the right and left raised edges may bear
against the vertical parts of the leg of a chair in an extended
position.
[0018] In another embodiment the underside of the gliding device
has a lower friction than the underside of the leg of a chair.
[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
therefore provided a safety kit for a children's chair,
characterized in that it comprises two glider devices as mentioned
above, two anchoring elements and two fastening elements, and
possibly two replacement gliders.
[0020] Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of a
glider device or a safety kit as mentioned above, as a safety
device on a children's chair to reduce the friction between the
chair's rear leg and a support, preferably a soft support such as a
carpet.
[0021] Still another aspect of the invention relates to the use of
a glider device or a safety kit as mentioned above, to move the
tilting point for the chair rearward in relation to the tilting
point of the chair itself.
DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a glider device according to the invention from
two perspectives.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows the glider device in FIG. 1 mounted in an
extended position in a children's chair.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows the glider device in FIG. 2 in a retracted
position.
[0025] FIG. 4 shows the removal of an existing standard glider in a
children's chair seen from the underside and a detail thereof.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows the first step in the mounting of the glider
device in FIGS. 2 and 3 and a detail thereof.
[0027] FIG. 6 shows the second step in the mounting of the glider
device in the position of FIG. 2.
[0028] FIG. 7 shows the second step in the mounting of the glider
device in the in the position of FIG. 3.
[0029] FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the glider
device.
[0030] FIG. 9 shows an optional replacement part in a children's
chair seen from the underside and a detail thereof.
[0031] FIG. 10 shows the mounting of the replacement part in
figurer 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] In the further description the following terms will be used
which should be understood as follows unless something else is
given.
[0033] By the term "in front", "forward", "front" and "forward
directed" is meant the mainly horizontal direction, which the face
and chest of a child sitting in the chair is facing towards during
normal use.
[0034] Further, by the term "behind", "rearward", "rear" and
"rearward directed" is meant the opposite mainly horizontal
direction, which is the direction towards which the back of the
child sitting in a chair generally is directed towards during
normal use of the chair.
[0035] The invention will in the following be illustrated by
examples of embodiments with referred to the figures, which are not
limiting for the invention.
[0036] FIG. 1 shows the parts of a glider device according to the
present invention seen from the topside and underside, which
comprises an extended glider 1 together with an optional anchoring
element 2, such as a nut plug 2, and a fastening element 3, such as
a screw.
[0037] The extended glider 1 has an underside which comprises a
gliding surface 11. The glider surface 11 has a surface which is
wider and/or longer in extent than normal spacers on children's
chair, such as in relation to standard gliders which are supplied
as standard on a Tripp Trappe.RTM. chair. The extended glider is
provided with a frontal fastening opening 12 and a rear fastening
opening 13, such as screw holes, for fastening of the extended
glider on the underside of the children's chair by help of the
fastening element 3. The front and rear fastening openings 12 and
13 are preferably adapted to the fastening element, and are in this
embodiment conical so that corresponding conical screw heads are
countersunk during fastening and do not get in contact with the
floor and influence the gliding properties of the safety device, or
make scratches in the floor surface.
[0038] The extended glider comprises three mainly vertical raised
side edges, i.e. two longitudinal edges 14 and a transverse end
edge 15. The edges 14 and 15 will completely or partly surround and
bear against the vertical parts of the rear legs of the children's
chair, like a kind of shoe.
[0039] FIG. 2 shows children's chair 100 wherein the extended
glider 1 is mounted on the rear parts of the legs 101 in extended
state, such that the extended glider stretches horizontally
backwards along the floor in a greater extent than the parts of the
legs 101.
[0040] FIG. 3 shows children's chair 100 wherein the extended
glider 1 is mounted on the rear parts of the legs 101 in a
retracted state. It should be noted that the extended glider not
only covers the rear underside of the part of the legs 101, but
that it also stretches outside of the rear floor print of the parts
of the legs 101 on each side and behind, as the two length edges 14
and the transverse end edge 15 are rim positioned.
[0041] In both the cases shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the children's
chair thereby obtains a gliding surface on the rear parts of the
legs 101 of greater area than the original standard gliders that
accompany the chair. This makes the chair glide much easier on
certain supports, such as on soft carpets, by less force, when it
is subjected to horizontal forces. In this manner the chairs shown
in FIGS. 2 and 3 will glide earlier and easier away from a table,
if the child sitting in the chair pushes by kicking away from the
table, in relation to a normal children's chair on surfaces where
it is preferable with a large surface of the glider. In the
extended version shown in FIG. 2, the effect of a more downward
directed pushing force, such as a pushing force against a tall
table edge, or a vigorous rearward directed weight displacement of
the child, will in addition be reduced as the extent of the legs in
the rearward direction is greater and moves the tilting point of
the chair further rearwards. Thus, greater stability is provided in
this direction to provide increased resistance against reward
overturning. The upward rising longitudinal edges 14 provides the
extended gliding element with rigidity against bending in the
longitudinal direction, and torsion in the transverse direction,
such that the extent of the gliding element provides the intended
stabilizing effect.
[0042] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear par
of the legs 101 is the rear part of a horizontal leg beam, but any
rear leg part of a chair may be envisaged, especially a rear part
of a leg having a surface sufficient to cover the main surface of
the glider in a retracted position.
[0043] As shown in the FIGS. 4-7, the safety device according to
the present invention is very easy and quick to install as well as
to retract and extend, or to replace back to the original form when
the needs changes.
[0044] I FIG. 4 it is shown how the existing rear standard glider
21 on the rear leg part 101 of a children's chair is removed, for
example by the help of a flat screw driver 200. It should be noted
that it is not necessary to remove the front standard gliders 22,
as the load and need for gliding effect first and foremost lies on
the rear gliders.
[0045] The rear standard gliders 21 are fastened to a hole on the
underside of the rear leg parts that appears by removal of the
standard gliders. The standard gliders may be thrown away as they
will not fit in the holes after the anchoring element 2 is mounted,
such as when a nut plug is fixed into the chair as shown in FIG.
5.
[0046] In FIG. 5 it is shown how the anchoring elements 2 are
fastened, for example by nut pugs being drawn in with a hammer 300,
in the front fastening opening 102 of the two holes 102 and 103 on
the underside of the rear leg pats, where the former standard
glider was fastened. In this embodiment, it is important that the
fastening opening furthest away form the end of the part of the
legs 101 is used for the anchoring elements 2, so that the main
gliding element may be used both in extended and retracted
position. The anchoring elements 2 are preferably self-fastening,
and/or expanding so that they s are anchored in a very well fixed
manner, and preferably permanently in the foremost hole 102 when
they are brought into the holes.
[0047] FIG. 6 further shows how the extended glider is mounted in
an extended position by guiding the fastening element 3, here a
screw, through the foremost fastening opening 12 in the main
gliding element and fastening the extended glider via the anchoring
element 2 to the rear leg parts, for example by the help of a tool,
here as an example by an Allen wrench 400. The raised side edges 14
hinder the extended glider from rotating and secure the correct
positioning in a rearward extension of the rear leg parts 101.
[0048] FIG. 7 shows the mounting of the extended glider in a
retracted position, by guiding the fastening element 3 through the
rear fastening opening 13 in the main glider element and fastening
the element by the anchoring element 2 to the rear leg parts 101.
The raised longitudinal side edges 14 and the transverse edge 15
will thereby all bear against the vertical parts of the rear leg
parts 101 in a discrete, enclosing and little visible manner, which
hinders them from damage or to be of hindrance for the user. The
fastening also hinders that the extended glider rotates and secures
proper positioning in a rearward extension of the rear leg parts
101. A very low embodiment of the extended glider also reduces the
risk of tripping for persons passing behind the chair.
[0049] In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 8, the
fastening opening in the extended glider 20 may be an open track
between the front 12 and rear fastening opening 13. In this manner,
it is not necessary to remove the fastening elements 3 completely,
such as screws, to interchange between an extended and retracted
position of the extended glider. By raising the fastening element,
the extended glider may glide to the desired position and
thereafter being fastened in the position by tightening the
fastening element. However, the track should not be wider than only
allowing the stem of the fastening element, such as the stem of a
screw, to glide in the track when the fastening element is partly
in a raised state. The track should therefore have the same or
smaller width than the diameter of the fastening openings, and
preferably have vertical inner walls. For example, conical recesses
in the extended glider, adapted to the head of the fastening
element may provide physical resistance against positional
adjustment when the fastening element 3 is positioned all the way
in. Such shape adjusted recesses around the fastening openings in
the extended glider may hinder unintended inward pushing of the
extended glider, which would reduce the expected safety.
[0050] FIG. 9 shows a replacement glider 4. This optional
replacement glider 4 is narrower than the extended glider and has
for example the same outer dimensions as the original standard
glider supplied with the children's chair.
[0051] If the user no longer wishes to have the safety device
mounted on the chair, the extended glider may be demounted and
removed and be replaced by the optional replacement glider 4
mounted in the holes under the chair, for example by driving it as
shown in FIG. 9. Thus, the replacement glider 4 has a rear
fastening element 43 on the topside, such as a plug, which fits in
the original rearmost hole 103, and a narrower foremost fastening
element 42, such as a narrow plug, which fits into the opening of
the anchoring element 2, as the anchoring element is not meant to
be removed. The replacement glider contributes to reset the chair
to its original shape and provides the same gliding properties as
the original standard glider which was removed. It is important
that the chair is not without glider, as lacking gliders may
involve a safety risk.
[0052] Normally, the safety device is supplied as a package
containing all the necessary parts for a chair, and thus the
invention also relates to a kit comprising: [0053] 2 extended
gliders, [0054] 2 fastening elements, [0055] 2 anchoring elements,
and [0056] possibly 2 replacement gliders, adapted to a children's
chair, especially a Tripp Trapp.RTM. chair, where the fastening
elements for example are screws and the anchoring elements for
example are nut plugs.
[0057] The safety kit may for example be supplied separately as a
safety kit, or be combined with other products, such as chosen from
one or more of: a children's harness, a children's rail or a raised
back of the chair, such as a baby kit.
* * * * *