Abstract: A car seat including a seat body having a seat back and a seat pan for receiving an occupant thereon, and at least one shoulder harness coupled to the seat body and being located to fit over the torso of an occupant to retain the occupant on the seat body. The car seat further includes a buckle for releasably coupling the shoulder harness to the seat body, the buckle including a bracket coupled to the shoulder harness and a base coupled to the seat body. The bracket includes a gripping portion and a tongue and is releasably couplable to the base. The buckle is in a latched condition when the bracket is coupled to the base and is in an unlatched condition when the bracket is not coupled to the base. One of the gripping portion or the base includes a notification portion that has a visual property different from any adjacent areas of the one of the gripping portion or the base.

Abstract: The present invention is an electrically driven open top infant swing comprising a crossbar that does not extend directly over the top of the infant swing. Thus, as opposed to other prior art swing designs utilizing crossbars, the crossbar of the present invention provides excellent stability and rigidity to the swing described and claimed herein while still allowing relatively easy access to an infant seated in the swing seat. Additionally, the present invention provides an infant swing that is coupled to an electric drive motor by a “moving pivot” thereby allowing the swing to pivot independently of the drive motor and thus avoiding undue strain on the swing motor and gearing.

Abstract: A seat for receipt of a child capable of providing exercise and entertainment comprising a seat having an upper support and a lower support, the lower support having leg openings for passage of the legs of a child supported therein. An upper supporting tray has a radially interior opening for receiving and supporting the seat, the upper supporting tray having a radially exterior periphery with projections extending downwardly therefrom. A bowl-shaped base, preferably with radial ribs, is provided, the upper periphery of the base having spaced upstanding towers with openings depending from the upper ends thereof. Upstanding posts are also provided, each post having a lower end received within the upper end of a tower, each post having an upper end with a recess for receiving a downwardly depending projection.

Abstract: A child car seat is configured for attachment to vehicle anchor points in at least two configurations including a frontward facing configuration and a rearward facing configuration. The child car seat includes an exterior portion and an interior portion, the interior portion defining a receiving area for a child. A front area of the interior portion is generally open and a rear area of the interior portion is generally closed by a back section. A first structure is positioned on the interior portion for securing a first strap thereto such that the first strap is positioned interiorly of the seat and is capable of extending both toward the front area and the rear area, and a second structure is positioned on the interior portion for securing a second strap thereto such that the second strap is positioned interiorly of the seat and is capable of facing both toward the front area and the rear area.

Abstract: A seat for receipt of a child capable of providing exercise and entertainment comprising a seat having a rigid upper support and a lower support therebeneath and a circular bearing surface therebetween, the lower support having leg openings for passage of the legs of a child supported therein. An upper supporting tray has a radially interior opening in a circular configuration for receiving and supporting the seat, the upper supporting tray having a radially exterior periphery with projections extending downwardly therefrom. A bowl-shaped base, preferably with radial ribs, is provided, the upper periphery of the base having spaced upstanding towers with openings depending from the upper ends thereof. Upstanding posts are also provided, each post having a lower end received within the upper end of a tower, each post having an upper end with a recess for receiving a downwardly depending projection.

Abstract: A two section gate assembly restricts access through a wall opening. The two gate sections overlap as determined by the wall opening size. A vertical hinge rail in one gate section forms a hinge side, and a vertical latch rail in the other gate section forms a latch side. A concealed vertical edge of the hinge rail includes two horizontally spaced swing bolts that are adjusted to compensate for a hinge wall that is not perpendicular. The two swing bolts and two wall mounted hinge pin brackets are covered by decorative hinge covers. A concealed vertical edge of the latch rail includes two horizontally spaced latch tabs that are spring biased downward. Upon swinging the gate assembly to a closed position, the latch tabs encounter wall mounted latch receivers having an upward extending ramp, whereupon the latch tabs are forced to move upward against their spring bias. When the gate assembly is fully closed, the latch tabs drop vertically downward into latch recesses.

Abstract: A stroller includes a latching mechanism for a foldable frame that is remotely actuated through a sliding actuator on an upper frame member of the stroller frame. The sliding actuator is attached via a wire to pins which can be selectively placed in or out of engagement with a notch defined on a surface associated with the lower front frame member. A seat assembly on the stroller includes a seat back which is pivotably attached to the adjacent seat portions to allow the seat back to be folded when the stroller is folded. A canopy with dual extendable visors is removably attachable to the seat assembly. The canopy can be moved pivotably to a fully forward, fully backward, or any intermediate position, and the dual extendable visors on either end thereof can be selectively retracted or extended so as to achieve the desired amount of blocking of the sun and elements as well as to provide the desired ventilation.

Abstract: A playyard system having an upper rail assembly with two parallel upper long side rails and two parallel upper short end rails. Each of the upper rails has a hinge with horizontal pivot pins adjacent to the midpoint thereof. The upper rail assembly also includes four upper corner brackets with hinges coupling the remote exterior ends of the four upper rails for rotation thereabout. In association with the upper rail assembly is a lower rail assembly with two parallel lower long side rails. Each of the lower rails has a hinge with vertical pivot pins adjacent to the midpoint thereof. The lower rail assembly also includes four lower corner brackets with pivot pins coupling the exterior remote ends of the lower rails to the lower corner brackets for oscillation of the lower rails about their axes and for pivoting with respect to the corner brackets. A pair of lower cross bars is included as part of the lower rail assembly.

Abstract: A horizontally extendable, two section gate assembly for use in restricting access through a wide opening that is defined by a pair of horizontally spaced and vertically extending walls. One end of the gate mounts hinges that are removably received within hinge brackets mounted on one wall. A swing stop allows the gate to swing in only one direction. The other end of the gate mounts a manual latch mating with a latch bracket mounted on the other wall. Two gate sections each include a horizontal upper support bar. Each upper support bar includes a horizontally extending open face slot that mates with the open face slot in the other support bar. Opposite ends of the two slots include a fixed position and extending slide block. Each slide block is fixed within one slot and is movable in the other slot, to provide low friction relative movement of the two gate sections, and to support the two gate sections in an extended position so that no gate sag is experienced.

Abstract: An infant bathtub having a tub of unitary construction, a foam pad attached thereto, a sling selectively and removably attachable to a lip of the tub, and a hook selectively and removably attachable to a bottom surface of the tub. The hook includes shoulders and a notch formed thereon that mate with channels and resilient tabs formed on the bottom surface of the tub. The receptacle is located on the bottom surface of the tub in the position relative to the center of mass so that when the hook is installed therein, the infant bathtub will hang from a shower curtain rod in a substantially vertical orientation. The sling can be removably attached to the infant bathtub along a lip formed on the tub and the clips can be positioned relative to various ribs formed at the head end and foot end of the tub.

Abstract: A cabana system adapted for use in a stand-alone mode is disclosed. The system includes a separable floor for use as a cover for a playyard of the type having vertically extending reception apertures in the upper corners thereof. The system is comprised of a frame fabricated of two flexible rods. Each flexible rod is hollow with free ends adapted to be received within apertures of a playyard. The rods are positioned in side-by-side relationship to thereby form a generally cylindrical central extent. The rod placement further forms spaced semi-circular planar surfaces on opposite sides thereof at the ends of the central sections. A fabric cover covers the tubes with a screen door in a semi-circular configuration in one planar face thereof with a fastener for coupling and uncoupling the screened panel. A fabric floor is formed as an extension of one planar face remote from the screen door and is adapted to depend downwardly over one side of the playyard when deployed thereon.

Abstract: A self cycling breast pump including a nurser bottle and a suction assembly adapted to be situated on a breast of a human for delivering milk to the nurser bottle upon the application of a suction thereto. Further provided is an electric pump adapted to generate a vacuum at an inlet upon the activation thereof. The inlet of the electric pump is connected to the suction assembly. Also included is an electronic vent valve adapted to vent the vacuum created by the electric pump upon the activation thereof for releasing the vacuum. Associated therewith is vent control circuitry for determining a rate of activation of the electric vent valve thereby creating a cycling suction at the inlet of the electric pump. Vacuum control circuitry is provided for allowing the manual governing of the level of vacuum generated by the electric pump means. This is accomplished by controlling the speed of a motor associated with the pump.

Abstract: An infant carrier system with a consumer-assembled frame is disclosed. The system includes a central frame assembly comprising two generally parallel tubes vertically disposed and positionable upon the back of an infant care provider. The central frame assembly includes two free upper ends and two free lower ends. A bracket is coupled to each tube intermediate to its upper and lower ends thereof. An upper frame assembly is formed in a generally inverted U-shaped configuration. The upper frame assembly has parallel legs extending horizontally terminating in free ends couplable with respect to the free upper ends of the tubes of the central frame assembly. A lower frame assembly is provided with a generally U-shaped configuration with a horizontal leg positionable upon the floor for support independent of a child care provider.