Patents Assigned to Graco Children Products, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10258761
    Abstract: A children's soothing device, such as a motorized swing, a motorized glider, a motorized rocker, a motorized bouncer, a playard, a crib, a car seat, a stroller, an infant carrier, or a bassinet, can include one or more speakers, one or more vibrating motors or solenoids, and one or more light attractions or lights for soothing a child. The children's soothing device can include a control system for storing and reading sound and other data files to output music or other sounds through the speakers and to activate and deactivate the vibrating motors in a synchronized pattern with the sound or music. The children's soother device can also evaluate the sound and other data files to synchronize the activation, deactivation, and/or change of state of the light attraction or lights with the sound/music and the vibrating motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventor: Bart A. Smudde
  • Patent number: 10245981
    Abstract: A child's booster seat with detachable belt positioner car seat is provided. The booster seat can include a seat back that can be coupled and decoupled from a seat base. The seat base can include a primary seat base and a removable seat base. The removable seat base can be coupled and decoupled from the primary seat base and used as a booster seat for a child without the primary seat base. The primary seat base can include protrusions and/or recesses and the removable seat base can include recesses and/or bosses for aligning and/or coupling the removable seat base to the primary seat base. A pair of armrests can be adjustably coupled to the seat base, such as to the removable seat base. The seat base can further include one or more lap belt positioners. The seat back can include an adjustable headrest and one or more shoulder belt positioners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Jake Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10238341
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for autonomously soothing babies. An example method may include receiving a first sound input from a microphone, processing the first sound input, determining a baby status based at least in part on the first sound input, determining an output action based at least in part on the baby status; and implementing the output action at the children's apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary Rubin, Bradley Keith Hondros, Mubeen Ahmad, William Andrew Steer, Justin Pinkney, Bart A. Smudde, Brian S. Kelly
  • Publication number: 20190076094
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for autonomously soothing babies. An example method may include receiving a first sound input from a microphone, processing the first sound input, determining a baby status based at least in part on the first sound input, determining an output action based at least in part on the baby status; and implementing the output action at the children's apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Walter Minnicks, Zachary Rubin, Bradley Keith Hondros, Mubeen Ahmad, William Andrew Steer, Justin Pinkney, Bart A. Smudde, Brian S. Kelly
  • Publication number: 20190077282
    Abstract: A rotatable child safety seat can include a seat base configured to rest on a vehicle seat and a seat shell for receiving a child therein. The seat shell can rotate with respect to the seat base and with a rotation axis offset from a center of the longitudinal axis of the seat base. The seat base can include a seat belt lock-off system for maintaining positioning of the automobile seat belt with respect to the seat base and for adding tension into the automobile seat belt. The child safety seat can include two separate seat belt/LATCH belt pathways. One seat belt/LATCH belt pathway can be provided along the seat back of the seat shell and used when the child safety seat is in a forward-facing configuration and the other seat belt/LATCH belt pathway can be provided in the seat base and used when in a rearward-facing configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas Henry Reaves, Taylor Daniel Genoway, Thomas Jake Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10173553
    Abstract: A child car seat can include a seat base and a seat shell. The seat shell can include a seat bottom and a seat back along a front side of the seat shell. Shoulder straps can be provided to assist holding a child in place in the car seat. The shoulder straps can extend through openings in the seat back of the seat shell and can be coupled to a splitter plate positioned along a back side of the seat shell. The splitter plate can include a slot for receiving a tightening strap and a roller or radiused edge positioned adjacent the slot to help the tightening strap slide along the roller or radiused edge when tension is applied to it. The tightening strap can be routed through the slot and under the seat shell and can pass through another slot along the seat bottom to tighten the shoulder straps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Jake Mitchell, Nicholas James Lombardi, Nicholas Henry Reaves, Daniel J. Brunick, Andrew Phillip Kitchens
  • Publication number: 20180361888
    Abstract: An anchor belt retractor system can be provided with a booster seat. The booster seat can include a booster seat base and optionally a seat back. The booster seat base can include a cavity or housing within which the anchor belt retractor system is housed. The anchor belt retractor system can include at least one spool or drum about which webbing can be wound. The system can also include a first anchor webbing having a first end coupled to the spool and a second end coupled to an anchor latch. The system can also include a second anchor webbing having a first end coupled to the spool and a second end coupled to a second anchor latch. The spool or drum can be spring-biased to take up any slack in the first and second anchor webbings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Laurence Campbell, Andrew Phillip Kitchens
  • Publication number: 20180296006
    Abstract: An adjustable mode child rocker can be adjusted to provide a number of different swinging/rocking motions to a child positioned within the rocker. The child rocker can include a seat assembly that can include a seat upon which a child can sit. The child rocker can also include a trolley assembly that is directly or indirectly attached to the seat assembly and can include multiple wheels near the bottom of the trolley assembly. The child rocker can also include at least one stationary track and at least one adjustable track for the wheels to move along to provide the different rocking/swinging motions to the seat assembly. The adjustable track(s) is adjustable from at least a first position to a second position to change the distance between the troughs of the respective stationary and adjustable tracks along a longitudinal axis of the child rocker and thereby changing the rocking/swinging motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Chad Brandon Robbins, Brian S. Kelly, Ryan William Nottage, Lauren Pusey, Andrew Liu, Nicholas E. Papageorge
  • Patent number: 10059244
    Abstract: A child seat can include a seat bottom and seat back. The seat back can be fixedly, rotatably, and/or removably coupled to the seat bottom. The child seat can further include an adjustable cup holder that can be integrally formed with the seat bottom or positioned adjacent to the seat bottom. For example, the child seat can include one or more arm rests positioned adjacent the seat bottom and the adjustable cup holder can be provided in at least one of the arm rests. The adjustable cup holder can include a static cup holder section and a rotatable cup holder section. The rotatable cup holder section can rotate with respect to the static cup holder section from a stored configuration to a use configuration. The adjustable cup holder can include alignment tabs and corresponding recessed slots and/or bosses and corresponding boss receivers to assist in positioning the adjustable cup holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas James Lombardi, Zachary Rubin
  • Publication number: 20180070739
    Abstract: A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom and a perimeter wall surrounding the bottom. A bassinet has an infant support surface and a surrounding wall around the infant support surface. The bassinet can be mounted to the child containment structure with the infant support surface elevated above the bottom of the child containment structure. An infant support unit can have a frame, a bed supported by the frame, and legs that extend from one end of the infant support unit to the distal second end. The infant support unit is configured for use in a first operational mode in which the infant support unit at least partially positioned within the child containment structure with the bed overlying the bassinet's infant support surface, and with a portion of the legs contacting the bassinet's infant support surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV, Brandon Burkholder, Annette Stella, Matthew Rivera
  • Patent number: 9901187
    Abstract: A child containment device has a playard and a bassinet accessory supported on the playard. A mattress is positioned within the bassinet accessory. The device can have a mattress support structure attached to the bassinet accessory or the mattress and can have a bassinet support structure attached to the bassinet accessory. The mattress support structure can keep the mattress flat and level and be irremovably attached to the mattress or bassinet accessory. The bassinet support structure can be irremovably attached to the bassinet accessory or can be configured to orient the mattress to contact a playard floor panel or be oriented 30° or more from a level orientation if improperly installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Brandon Burkholder, Matthew Rivera, Annette Stella
  • Patent number: 9861209
    Abstract: A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom and a perimeter wall surrounding the bottom. A bassinet has an infant support surface and a surrounding wall around the infant support surface. The bassinet can be mounted to the child containment structure with the infant support surface elevated above the bottom of the child containment structure. An infant support unit can have a frame, a bed supported by the frame, and legs that extend from one end of the infant support unit to the distal second end. The infant support unit is configured for use in a first operational mode in which the infant support unit at least partially positioned within the child containment structure with the bed overlying the bassinet's infant support surface, and with a portion of the legs contacting the bassinet's infant support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV, Brandon Burkholder, Annette Stella, Matthew Rivera
  • Publication number: 20170360218
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a foldable child containment system can include an infant or child's playard. The playard can include a top rail support assembly and a bottom rail support assembly defining the top and bottom of a playard enclosure. A hub assembly can be coupled to the bottom rail support assembly. Corner posts can operably couple the top rail support assembly to the bottom rail support assembly. The top rail support assembly can include one or more rail locking mechanisms to lock and unlock a pair of top rail members from folding. Release mechanisms can be coupled to a rail locking mechanism and to the bottom rail support assembly. When the hub is lifted, the bottom rail support assembly rotates with respect to the corner posts and creates a tension in the release mechanisms that adjusts the rail locking mechanism from locked to unlocked configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Emil Dziak, Nathan Christopher Causey
  • Publication number: 20170340285
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for autonomously soothing babies. An example method may include receiving a first sound input from a microphone, processing the first sound input, determining a baby status based at least in part on the first sound input, determining an output action based at least in part on the baby status; and implementing the output action at the children's apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary Rubin, Bradley Keith Hondros, Mubeen Ahmad, William Andrew Steer, Justin Pinkney, Bart A. Smudde, Brian S. Kelly
  • Patent number: 9821831
    Abstract: An accessory device (20) for a stroller has a body (42) with a central portion (44) between opposed free ends (46) of the body and has an infant car seat mount (120) carried on the body (42) near at least one of the free ends of the body (42). The accessory device (20) is configured to at least partially widthwise traverse a frame assembly of a stroller (10) when installed on the frame assembly. The accessory device (20) is selectively removable from and attachable to the frame assembly, whereby the infant car seat mount (120) is also removable from and attachable relative to the frame assembly in concert with the accessory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Reaves, Jessica Tebbe, Stephen Jones, Craig Cochran, Jeff Juskowich, Maureen Carroll, Ellen Brown
  • Publication number: 20170265648
    Abstract: A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom and a perimeter wall surrounding the bottom. A bassinet has an infant support surface and a surrounding wall around the infant support surface. The bassinet can be mounted to the child containment structure with the infant support surface elevated above the bottom of the child containment structure. An infant support unit can have a frame, a bed supported by the frame, and legs that extend from one end infant support unit to the distal second end. The infant support unit is configured for use in a first operational mode in which the infant support unit at least partially positioned within the child containment structure with the bed overlying the bassinet's infant support surface, and with a portion of the legs contacting the bassinet's infant support surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV, Brandon Burkholder, Annette Stella, Matthew Rivera
  • Patent number: 9706855
    Abstract: A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom and a perimeter wall surrounding the bottom. A bassinet has an infant support surface and a surrounding wall around the infant support surface. The bassinet can be mounted to the child containment structure with the infant support surface elevated above the bottom of the child containment structure. An infant support unit can have a frame, a bed supported by the frame, and legs that extend from one end infant support unit to the distal second end. The infant support unit is configured for use in a first operational mode in which the infant support unit at least partially positioned within the child containment structure with the bed overlying the bassinet's infant support surface, and with a portion of the legs contacting the bassinet's infant support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV, Brandon Burkholder, Annette Stella, Matthew Rivera
  • Patent number: 9629476
    Abstract: A convertible child seat has a frame assembly and a seat structure supported by the frame assembly. The seat structure defines a seating surface and is movable between at least an inclined seating position and a reclined sleeping position. A top tube assembly is coupled to a portion of the convertible child seat and is positioned above the seat structure spaced from the seating surface. The top tube assembly moves in concert with the seat structure when the seat structure is repositioned between the inclined seating position and the reclined sleeping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Robbins, Jon Hee Lee
  • Patent number: D812916
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas Cera
  • Patent number: D813557
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy R. Haley, Nicholas Cera