Patents Assigned to Graco Children's Products Inc.
  • Infant Sleeping Apparatus and Child Containment System
    Publication number: 20130047336
    Abstract: A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom and a perimeter wall surrounding the bottom. A connector part is on each of two opposed outward facing surfaces of the perimeter wall. The system has a bassinet with a bottom panel and surrounding wall around the bottom panel. The bassinet is removably mounted to the perimeter wall with the bottom panel elevated above the bottom. The system has an infant sleeping apparatus with a fabric panel, a top surface, a pair of opposed sides, and a pair of opposed ends. The infant sleeping apparatus has a connector part positioned near each of the pair of the opposed ends. The infant sleeping apparatus is removably mounted to the containment structure with the fabric panel overlying the bassinet bottom panel with each connector part of the sleeping apparatus coupled to one of the connector parts of the containment structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventor: Graco Children's Products Inc.
  • Child Car Seat and Adjustable Head Support
    Publication number: 20120326476
    Abstract: A child seat has a seat back portion and a safety harness with a pair of shoulder belts positioned on a front side of the seat back portion. A head support is separate from the seat back portion. The shoulder belts are height adjustable vertically along the seat back portion. The head support is removably attached to the seat back portion with a mounting strap and vertically adjustable positionally along a front side of the seat back portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Kelly Runk, Marco Binotto
  • Stroller and seat assembly
    Patent number: 8322744
    Abstract: A stroller has a frame assembly, a seat assembly mounted to the frame assembly, and a hub assembly carried by the seat assembly. The hub assembly has a hub axis, a first hub part connected to the stroller, and a second hub part connected to the first hub part and to the seat assembly. A cup holder is connected to the first hub part. The second hub part and the seat assembly can be rotated about the hub axis relative to the first hub part to adjust a recline position of the seat assembly while the cup holder does not rotate therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Ahnert, Patrick W. Laffan, Robert T. Pike
  • Detachable Storage Receptacle
    Publication number: 20120299340
    Abstract: A storage assembly has a panel on a structure and a receptacle with a storage space defined within a body. The panel has an inner surface and an outer surface. A slot is formed through the panel. A tab is attached to and extends from the body of the receptacle and terminates at a free end. A first fastener part is positioned near the slot on the inner surface of the panel and a second fastener part is coupled to the free end of the tab. The tab is extended through the slot and the second fastener part is detachably connected to the first fastener part to attach the receptacle to the panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventor: Christine D. Krasley
  • Stroller brake
    Patent number: 8316999
    Abstract: A brake assembly for a stroller has a wheel rotatable about a wheel axis and a plurality of pockets on the wheel spaced from and circumferentially around the wheel axis. A brake lever has an actuator arm and a link arm fixedly connected to one another and is movable between a braking orientation and a released orientation. A boss is driven by the link arm between a braking position and a released position corresponding respectively to the braking and released orientations of the brake lever. A biasing mechanism is configured to bias and retain the boss into engagement with one of the plurality of pockets when the brake lever is moved to the braking orientation and to bias and retain the boss out of engagement with the plurality of pockets when the brake lever is moved to the released position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew L. Solinski, Todd D. Sorzano, Robert T. Pike, Michael A. Dotsey
  • Child containment system with multiple infant support modes
    Patent number: 8316481
    Abstract: A child containment system includes a child containment structure defining an interior space to be occupied by an infant and including an infant support surface within the interior space, and an infant support unit configured for use in a first operational mode in which the infant support unit is coupled to the child containment structure and disposed within the interior space above the infant support surface. The infant support unit and the child containment structure include respective connectors to secure the infant support unit in the first operational mode. The infant support unit includes a frame configured for use of the infant support unit in a second operational mode in which the infant support unit is independent of the child containment structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV, Brandon Burkholder, Annette Stella, Matthew Rivera
  • Reconfigurable child seat assembly
    Patent number: 8297694
    Abstract: A child seat assembly has a clamp mechanism configured to connect to a table and a child seat coupled to and supported spaced from the clamp mechanism. The child seat is reconfigurable between a toddler seat configuration and an infant seat configuration relative to the table and the clamp mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV, Michael A. Dotsey
  • Infant sleeping apparatus and child containment system
    Patent number: 8291530
    Abstract: A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom, a perimeter side wall surrounding the bottom, and a connector part carried on each of two opposed inward facing surfaces of the perimeter wall. The system has an infant sleeping apparatus with a fabric panel having a top surface, a perimeter edge, a frame structure carrier near the perimeter edge, and an exposed portion of the frame structure positioned near each opposed end of the fabric panel. The infant sleeping apparatus is removably mounted to the child containment structure with the fabric panel suspended above the bottom of the child containment structure by connecting each exposed portion of the frame structure to a corresponding one of the connector parts of the child containment structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Burkholder, Matt Rivera, Annette Stella
  • Stroller Wheel Assembly
    Publication number: 20120242050
    Abstract: A stroller wheel assembly has a wheel mount with an interior cavity and defining a generally vertical housing axis. An axle is carried by the wheel mount and a wheel is carried on the axle and rotatable about a rolling axis oriented perpendicular to the housing axis. A leg of a stroller frame has an end section coupled to the wheel mount. A suspension spring has one end borne against a spring stop on the wheel mount within the interior cavity and an opposite end borne against a fixed stop. The spring resiliently supports the wheel mount for movement against a bias force and by the bias force of the spring relative to the leg along the housing axis. The wheel assembly can also be capable of swiveling about the housing axis relative to the leg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Brady Matthew Schroeder, Thomas M. Perrin
  • Foldable Stroller and Fold Joint for a Foldable Stroller
    Publication number: 20120242062
    Abstract: A stroller fold joint has a first part with a connection hosel coupled to a cylindrical hub body having a circumferential surface and a pivot axis extending through the body. A second part has connector coupled to two plates. The hub body is sandwiched between the plates and the first and second joint parts are pivotable about the pivot axis relative to one another between a folded orientation and an unfolded orientation. A tunnel extends through the hub body perpendicular to the pivot axis. A shuttle is slidable within the tunnel and has an elongate body, a latch end, and an actuator end. The latch end is adjacent the circumferential surface of the hub body at one tunnel end and the actuator end extends into the hosel. With the fold joint in the folded or the unfolded orientation, or moving therebetween, the shuttle is not exposed and covered by portions of the fold joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Brady Matthew Schroeder, Thomas M. Perrin
  • Child Motion Device with Adjustable Seat
    Publication number: 20120205954
    Abstract: A child motion device has a support having an upstanding post, a seat mounted on the upstanding post, and a rotation assembly. The rotation assembly has detents carried by either the seat or the post and spaced around and radially outward from the post, and has a spring biased protrusion carried on the other of the seat and the post. The seat can be rotated to different orientations corresponding to the detent positions. The protrusion seats in one of the detents positioning the seat in a selected orientation relative to the support and determined by the detent in which it is seated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollack, Chad Robbins
  • Fabric fastened changing table
    Patent number: 8230536
    Abstract: A changing table for a playard has a flexible platform sized to support a child and a changing table mount arranged to releasably engage the platform to the playard. The changing table mount can have a plurality of straps each having a fastener and removably received in corresponding slots of the playard. The changing table mount can comprise a zipper releasably connecting the changing table to the playard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua E. Clapper, Jeffrey David Swan, Neil C. Penza, Todd D. Sorzano, Matthew J. Ransil, Thomas J. Pollack, Jonathan M. Pacella, Robert T. Pike, Michael A. Dotsey
  • Child Car Seat with Adjustable Harness System
    Publication number: 20120169098
    Abstract: A child safety seat has a seat back with an upper end, a back side, and a front facing side. A harness system has a pair of safety straps each with a back portion on the back side and a shoulder strap portion on the front facing side. A router is on the back side and has a fixed upper guide, a fixed lower guide spaced below the upper guide, and a slider vertically movable therebetween. The back portions are routed from the respective shoulder strap portions through the slider, up to the upper guide, down to the lower guide, and back up to the slider. The slider is vertically adjustable between a raised position and a lowered position and determines the height of the shoulder strap portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventor: Scott R. Spence
  • Reversible stroller handle
    Patent number: 8210563
    Abstract: A stroller includes a frame, a pivot joint assembly mounted on the frame, and a handle coupled to the frame at the pivot joint assembly. The handle rotates about a pivot axis defined by the pivot joint assembly between first and second positions relative to the frame. A latch assembly includes a projection and is movable between a latched state in which the latch assembly secures the handle in either the first position or the second position and a released state in which the handle is released for movement between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Dotsey, Patrick W. Laffan, Stephen Ahnert, Devon T. Siesholtz, Branden McCorkel, Robert T. Pike, Joseph T. Grintz
  • Reconfigurable child seat assembly for a juvenile product
    Patent number: 8210610
    Abstract: A child seat for a juvenile product has a seating surface with a first section, a second section, and a seat bight region between the first and second sections. A lap belt is coupled to the child seat near the seat bight region. A first crotch strap is coupled to the child seat on the first section side of the seat bight region and is connectable to the lap belt in a first harness configuration rendering the first section as the seat bottom of the seating surface. The child seat has a removable pad insert with a second crotch strap. With the pad insert installed over the first section of the seating surface, the pad insert positions the second crotch strap on the second section side of the seat bight region. The second crotch strap is connectable to the lap belt in a second harness configuration rendering the second section as the seat bottom of the seating surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Cindy L. Berkey, John (Jason) C. Arnold, IV
  • One-hand fold stroller frame
    Patent number: 8186706
    Abstract: A foldable stroller frame has a frame structure with two laterally spaced apart frame sides. The frame structure is three dimensionally foldable from an in-use configuration to a folded configuration. A fold joint assembly is provided on a part of the frame structure and is configured to maintain the frame structure in the in-use configuration. An actuator is coupled to the frame structure and is capable of actuation with one hand of a user to release the fold joint assembly. The frame structure can then move from the in-use configuration to the folded configuration using only the one hand and the frame sides are laterally closer to one another in the folded configuration than in the in-use configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Dotsey
  • Child motion device
    Patent number: 8187111
    Abstract: A child motion device includes a frame providing a structural support relative to a reference surface and including an arm pivotably coupled to the structural support for reciprocating movement with a resonant frequency, a child supporting device coupled to the arm and spaced from the reference surface by the frame, and a drive system including a motor configured to drive the arm such that the child supporting device reciprocates along a motion path at a frequency matched to the resonant frequency. The drive system is configured to adjust a duty cycle of the motor to control a speed at which the child support device moves along the motion path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Velderman, Joshua E. Clapper
  • Child soothing device with a low frequency sound chamber
    Patent number: 8146989
    Abstract: A child soothing device includes a frame comprising a structural support, a housing coupled to the structural support and comprising a cover with an opening, and a speaker including a speaker driver and a speaker chamber. The speaker driver has a diaphragm disposed relative to the opening in the cover for external sound wave propagation via displacement of the diaphragm, and the speaker chamber has a volume defined by the housing and in communication with the diaphragm for internal sound wave propagation via the displacement of the diaphragm. The device further includes a partition within the housing to further define the volume of the speaker chamber. The volume may include a region obliquely oriented relative to the diaphragm to support a low frequency response of the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Godiska, Joshua E. Clapper, Nick Efthemios Papageorge
  • Car Seat with Convertible Bottom
    Publication number: 20120074748
    Abstract: A car seat is configured to rest on a vehicle seat and to support a child. The car seat has a shell with a front side, a rear side, a seat back end, a seat bottom end, and a seating surface with a seat back portion and a seat bottom portion. A first contact surface is defined on a part of the car seat facing generally opposite the seat bottom portion. Adapter bodies are carried on the car seat. Each adapter body defines a second contact surface and is movable between a stowed position in which the first contact surface is exposed and positioned to rest on the vehicle seat with the seating surface at a first incline and a deployed position in which second contact surfaces are exposed and positioned to rest on the vehicle seat with the seating surface at a second incline different than the first incline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Brunick, Neil C. Penza, Craig Weber
  • CHILD SAFETY SEAT HARNESS TENSIOING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20120074758
    Abstract: A harness retractor (62) for a harness system (60) of a child safety harness, which has a tensioning web (80) and buckle connectors (70) coupled to straps of the safety harness. The tensioning device has a rotatable retractor mechanism (90) connected to the tensioning web (80) and biased to wind up the tensioning web in a wind up rotation direction. The tensioning device has a locking device (110) biased to a first position preventing rotation of the retractor mechanism in the wind up direction. The tensioning device has a buckle housing (64) coupled to the retractor mechanism. The buckle connectors (70) are releasably connectable to the buckle housing (64). A release mechanism is connected between the locking device (110) and the buckle housing (64) and can switch the locking device from the first position to a second position permitting rotation of the retractor mechanism in the wind up direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Graco Children's Products Inc
    Inventors: Luther Gates, Fred Buckingham, Mark Main