Height adjustment for changing table
The apparatus is a height adjustment assembly for a child's changing table with support tubes inserted into sockets at the top of a supporting structure such as a play yard. A height adjustment fixture external to the support tubes rests on top of the supporting structure and has a vertical series of recesses such as slots or holes and a ring through which the changing table's support tube slides. The changing table has an attached latching device that locks into the recesses to hold the table at several heights above the supporting structure. Alternate embodiments include a structure in which the height adjustment fixture contains the latching device and the recesses are in the changing table.
This application is based upon U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/535,083 filed Jan. 8, 2004, and is a Divisional application of Ser. No. 11/021,206 filed Dec. 23, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention deals generally with changing tables for infants, and more specifically with a height adjustment apparatus for a changing table installed on top of a structure such as a child's play yard.
Children's playpens, now more often called play yards, are a commonly available accessory for use with infants and small children. It is not at all unusual for parents to take a folding play yard along on a trip or visit in order to provide a space for the child to play and sleep. There is also another accessory for children that is just as vital, but not taken out of the child's home as frequently. That is a changing table or bassinet.
However, there are now available some changing tables that simply attach to a play yard and therefore are not at all difficult to take out of the home along with the play yard. Most of these tables take advantage of the height of the sides of the play yard and are attached to the top of the play yard sides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,470 to Shamie discloses one such combination playpen and changing table that re-hangs the bottom of the playpen from short straps attached to the horizontal top rails of the playpen in order to provide a somewhat higher surface for changing the child. U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,336 to Mariol uses a different approach by providing a complete assembly that resembles a second layer of the play yard that fits into wells on the top four corners of the play yard. Another type of changing table available is supported off one corner of a play yard, and it is rotated beyond the walls of the play yard when not in use.
The problem with all such arrangements is that they furnish only one height for the changing table, and that one height, which is keyed to the existing height of the play yard walls, is usually too low for an adult to use with comfort, because adults of average height must bend down to the level of the changing table. Furthermore, any changing table with a single pre-designed height can not possibly suit all adults.
It would be very beneficial to have an uncomplicated changing table that attaches to the top of a play yard and is easily adjustable to accommodate adults of different heights.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a simple structure for attaching a height adjustable changing table to the top of a play yard or other structure. To accept the support structure of the changing table, the play yard or other supporting structure requires only that a socket with an open top be attached to an upper edge of the supporting structure. It is probably most convenient and most stable if two sockets are mounted near two upper corners of a play yard. A vertical support for the changing table then fits into each socket, and both the changing table and the entire height adjustment assembly are attached to the changing table without any further modification to or addition of internal structures for either the play yard support or the changing table support.
The changing table support is attached to the changing table structure by conventional means such as rivets or screws, and the height adjustment assembly fits within the changing table structure, but the height adjustment assembly is external to both the support on the changing table and the socket on the play yard.
The main part of the height adjustment assembly of the preferred embodiment is a height adjustment fixture that contains three sections. One section is a coupling, which in the preferred embodiment is a ring that is horizontally oriented as it fits around the changing table vertical support just below the location where the changing table support protrudes out of the changing table. An extension oriented parallel to the axis of the coupling ring is attached to and slightly offset from the coupling ring and contains the other two sections of the fixture. The second section is a cylindrical tube, the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the coupling ring and the axis of the changing table support. This tube fits within the changing table, and into a cylinder integrated into the changing table structure. The tube slides within the cylinder to maintain alignment between the changing table and the third section which is a rack assembly.
The rack assembly is a linear strip attached to the outside of the cylindrical tube, with the linear strip containing a series of slots and separating lands so that it resembles the rack of a gear and rack assembly. In one embodiment of the invention, a gear mounted on the changing table engages the lands, and turning the gear raises or lowers the changing table.
The preferred embodiment of the invention uses a spring loaded lever that engages the slots, but permits the height of the changing table to be manually lifted or lowered when the lever is pushed to move its latching end out of the slots.
The particular benefits of the height adjustment assembly of the invention are simple structure, inexpensive manufacturing, ease of use, and attachment to any supporting structure with nothing more than the addition of one or two tubular sockets at the top of the supporting structure. In particular, there is no requirement to put holes in any of the tubular structure of the supporting structure or install complex locking mechanisms within the supports of either the changing table or the supporting structure to which it is attached.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Height adjustment fixture 11 of
As shown in
The attachment of changing table 12 to play yard 14 is also conventional in that holding fixture 36 with socket 38 is attached to play yard 14 at an upper location, such as adjacent to a corner where horizontal rail 40 is attached to vertical support 42. Socket 38 in holding fixture 36 can then accept any simple rod or tube, such as changing table support 30, as long as the tube is of smaller diameter than socket 38. However, such simple holders for accessory structures provide no height adjustment since the lower part of the accessory structure would merely sit upon holding fixture 36.
The simple structure of height adjustment fixture 11 furnishes a vital part of the height adjustment with no modification of either support 30 or holding fixture 36. In the preferred embodiment shown in
In regard to stability and alignment, it is worthwhile to note that the most typical installation of height adjustment assembly 10 of the present invention is in pairs with one on each of two supports 30 located at opposite ends of changing table 12. The two supports are installed into holding fixtures 36 located near adjacent corners of play yard 40. Such an arrangement provides an appropriate length for the changing table and does not require any locking apparatus to prevent supports 30 from rotating within fixture 36.
Height adjustment assembly 10 requires one more device attached to changing table 12. That is lever 46 which holds changing table 12 in one of the height positions provided by slots 16. Lever 46 rotates around pivot point 48 when lever handle 50 is pushed toward lands 18, and as lever 46 rotates, latch 52 moves out of the slot 16 in which it is lodged. This permits changing table 12 to be manually raised or lowered. When lever handle 50 is released, spring 54 forces lever handle away from slots 16, thus moving latch 52 into an available slot 16. Since height adjustment assemblies are typically installed near the ends of changing table 12, and when pushing lever handle 50 the user's hands are in contact with the underside of changing table 12, it is not at all difficult to operate two lever handles simultaneously and also raise or lower changing table 12.
Gear 66 is mounted upon and attached to the changing table (not shown in
Gear 66 can be rotated by any conventional means. One rotating device is shown in
The invention thus provides a convenient and easily manufactured height adjustment for a changing table used in conjunction with a play yard or any other supporting structure, and it requires no complex modification of the supporting structure or the changing table supports because the height adjustment assembly is external to those supports.
It is to be understood that the form of this invention as shown is merely a preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of parts; equivalent means may be substituted for those illustrated and described; and certain features may be used independently from others without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, springs other than leaf spring 54 as shown can be used, or height adjustment fixture 11 can use holes or any other type of recesses within support structure 20 instead of slots 16, and the latch can be a spring loaded retractable pin instead of pivoting latch 52. Furthermore, neither the changing table support nor the coupling of the height adjustment assembly need to have cylindrical cross sections, nor the coupling even be a ring, as long as they mate, can be assembled together, and the support can move within the coupling.
Claims
1. A height adjustment assembly for a changing: table comprising:
- a changing table support (30) attached to a changing table and moveable vertically relative to a holding fixture (36) attached to a supporting structure (14) upon which the changing table support (30) is supported;
- a coupling coupled to the changing table support (30) and permitting the changing table support (30) to move relative to the coupling;
- a support structure (20) attached to the coupling and extending from the coupling and oriented toward the changing table and in the direction of movement of the changing table support (30) so that the changing table support (30) moves relative to the support structure (20);
- at least two recesses in the support structure (20), with the recesses aligned in the direction of movement of the changing table support (30); and
- a latching mechanism attached to the changing table and oriented to mate with the recesses on the support structure (20) as the changing table moves to place each recess adjacent to the latching mechanism, with the latching mechanism being releasable.
2. The height adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the coupling is a ring within which the changing table support (30) slides.
3. The height adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the recesses are slots separated by lands.
4. The height adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the latching mechanism is a pivoting lever with a release handle at one end and a latch at the other end with a spring forcing the latch into the recesses in the support structure (20).
5. The height adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the recesses are equally spaced between a series of lands and the latching mechanism is a gear with teeth that mate with the recesses.
6. The height adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the recesses are equally spaced between a series of lands, the latching mechanism is a gear with teeth that mate with the recesses, the gear is interconnected with a knob by which the gear is rotated, and the knob is interconnected with a releasable latch that prevents the gear from turning.
7. The height adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the support structure (20) includes a spring acting to separate the changing table from the support structure (20) in the direction of movement of the changing table support (30).
8. A height adjustment assembly for a changing table comprising:
- a changing table support (88) attached to a changing table (86) and moveable vertically relative to a holding fixture (36) attached to a supporting structure (14) upon which the changing table support (88) is supported, with the changing table (86) including a socket (96) within the body of the changing table (86);
- a coupling (92) coupled to the changing table support (88) and permitting the changing table support (88) to move vertically relative to the coupling (92);
- a latch assembly (94) attached to the coupling (92) and extending from the coupling (92), inserted into socket (96) within the body of the changing table (86), and oriented in the vertical direction of movement of the changing table support (88);
- at least two recesses (98) in the body of the changing table (86), with the recesses (98) aligned in the vertical direction of movement of the changing table support (88) and to fit into the socket (96) within the body of the changing table (86) and;
- a latch (90) built into the latch assembly (94) and oriented to mate with the recesses (98) in the changing table (86) as the changing table moves vertically to place each recess adjacent to the latch, with the latch (90) being located so that the latch (90) is releasable by a user while the user is simultaneously holding and vertically moving the changing table (86).
9. The height adjustment assembly of claim 8 wherein the latch (90) is attached to a spring integrated into the latch assembly (94).
Type: Application
Filed: May 2, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 6, 2007
Inventor: Curtis Hartenstine (Birdsboro, PA)
Application Number: 11/799,547
International Classification: A47C 16/00 (20060101);