INFANT CARSEAT ATTACHMENT FOR PILATES REFORMER

Abstract

The present invention relates to an infant carseat attachment for a carriage of a Pilates reformer, comprising: a rectangular frame, formed from a pair of longitudinal pieces, the longitudinal pieces coupled together at respective distal ends by a pair of perpendicular pieces; a set of legs extending from the rectangular frame, each leg terminating in a wheel; one or more arms extending from one of the pair of longitudinal pieces, each of the one or more arms terminating in a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism operative to removably engage the carriage; a seat belt extending from each of the pair of longitudinal pieces, wherein the rectangular frame is dimensioned to support an infant carseat on the perpendicular pieces and the infant carseat is secured to the rectangular frame by the seat belt.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present specification relates generally to attachments for Pilates reformers and, in particular, to an infant carseat attachment for a Pilates reformer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

Pilates is an exercise and lifestyle program. One of the pieces of equipment used is a reformer, which is a moveable platform with various resistance and attachment options used for performing certain Pilates routines.

However, a significant segment of the population engaged in Pilates are women with infant children. A challenge is keeping the infant calm while exercising in order for the mother to perform without distraction.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have modification for a reformer which potentially provides for both mother and infant during exercise.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an infant carseat attachment for a Pilates reformer.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided an infant carseat attachment for a carriage of a Pilates reformer, comprising: a rectangular frame, formed from a pair of longitudinal pieces, the longitudinal pieces coupled together at respective distal ends by a pair of perpendicular pieces; a set of legs extending from the rectangular frame, each leg terminating in a wheel; one or more arms extending from one of the pair of longitudinal pieces, each of the one or more arms terminating in a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism operative to removably engage the carriage; a seat belt extending from each of the pair of longitudinal pieces, wherein the rectangular frame is dimensioned to support an infant carseat on the perpendicular pieces and the infant carseat is secured to the rectangular frame by the seat belt.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a kit for an infant carseat attachment for a carriage of a Pilates reformer, comprising: a rectangular frame, formed from a pair of longitudinal pieces, the longitudinal pieces coupled together at respective distal ends by a pair of perpendicular pieces; a set of legs extending from the rectangular frame, each leg terminating in a wheel; one or more arms extending from one of the pair of longitudinal pieces, each of the one or more arms terminating in a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism operative to removably engage the carriage; a seat belt extending from each of the pair of longitudinal pieces, wherein the rectangular frame is dimensioned to support an infant carseat on the perpendicular pieces and the infant carseat is secured to the rectangular frame by the seat belt.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

Other aspects and features according to the present application will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, embodiments of the invention, and how they may be carried into effect, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Pilates reformer with an infant carseat attachment according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an alternate perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the infant carseat attachment according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the infant carseat attachment of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the infant carseat attachment of FIG. 3 with the legs folded.

Like reference numerals indicated like or corresponding elements in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to generally to attachments for Pilates reformers and, in particular, to an infant carseat attachment for a Pilates reformer.

According to an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, an infant carseat attachment 200 is removably attached to a Pilates reformer 110 at the moveable carriage 120 of the reformer 110. An infant carseat 300 may be removably mounted and secured within the infant carseat attachment 200 to allow the infant carseat 300 to move in conjunction with the carriage 120 during use of the reformer 110. An alternate view without the infant carseat 300 is shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the infant carseat attachment 200 is formed from a rectangular frame 210 which is mounted on four legs 220 with wheels 230 located at the ends. One of more of extension arms 240 are mounted along the longitudinal piece 212 on one side of frame 210, and each extension arm 240 has a coupling mechanism 250 located at the end which are operable to removably secure infant carseat attachment 200 to the carriage 120 (see FIG. 1). The infant carseat 300 thereby rests on the perpendicular pieces 214 of the rectangular frame 210. The perpendicular pieces 214 may include an adjustment mechanism 216, such as a rotating screw, which permits adjustment of the rectangular frame 210 to accommodate different types of infant carseats 300. The perpendicular pieces 214 may further be angled slightly upwards or downwards from the longitudinal pieces 212 to provide improved support for infant carseat 300.

Coupling mechanisms 250 may be spring clamps, which can secure to the top, bottom or side edge of carriage 120. Other types of coupling mechanisms 250 that may be used include screw clamps or lock pins. The type of coupling mechanism 250 is determine by the nature of carriage 120, as different makes and models of reformers 110 have different designs for carriage 120. For an infant carseat attachment 200 designed to work with different types of reformers 110, a more generic coupling mechanism 250 such as clamps may be preferred. Alternatively, an infant carseat attachment 200 designed for use with a specific type of reformer 110 may use a more specific coupling mechanism 250 such as threaded bolts, screws or lock pins which engage with holes on the carriage 120.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, legs 220 may be detachable and/or foldable to reduce the space required for transportation and storage of infant carseat attachment 200. Where the legs 220 are foldable, a locking mechanism 260 may be included to reduce the risk of the legs 220 inadvertently folding during use. The legs 220 may also include a height adjustment mechanism 265, such as a lock pin, to permit the adjustment of the height of the infant carseat attachment 200 to accommodate different types of Pilates reformers. Additionally, wheels 230 may including a locking mechanism 280 to lock the wheels 230 from moving for transport or storage.

In operation, the infant carseat attachment 200 is secured to the carriage 120 and the infant carseat 300 is placed within the frame 210 such that the ends of the frame 210 support the front and back of the infant carseat 300. A seat belt 270 is then secured over the infant carseat 300 to prevent the infant carseat 300 from moving or falling out of frame 210 during use.

Thus, while the parent is using the reformer 110, the infant carseat attachment 200 moves with the carriage 120, allowing the infant to view the parent from the infant carseat 300, ideally keeping the infant calm while the parent is exercising. Additionally, by aligning the infant carseat 300 with the motion of the carriage 120, the forward-backward motion minimizes the disruption to the infant and may further encourage the infant to sleep while the parent is exercising.

Preferably, the infant carseat attachment 200 is formed from rigid, lightweight materials, such as aluminum or high-density plastics. Alternatively, infant carseat attachment 200 may be provided as a kit of parts to be assemble. Any mechanisms such a adjustment mechanism 216 and locking mechanism 260 should be positioned to be out of the reach of a child inside infant carseat 300 during operation.

It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for insulating, protecting and installing are taught herein.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certain adaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. An infant carseat attachment for a carriage of a Pilates reformer, comprising:

a rectangular frame, formed from a pair of longitudinal pieces, the longitudinal pieces coupled together at respective distal ends by a pair of perpendicular pieces;

a set of legs extending from the rectangular frame, each leg terminating in a wheel;

one or more arms extending from one of the pair of longitudinal pieces, each of the one or more arms terminating in a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism operative to removably engage the carriage;

a seat belt extending from each of the pair of longitudinal pieces,

wherein the rectangular frame is dimensioned to support an infant carseat on the perpendicular pieces and the infant carseat is secured to the rectangular frame by the seat belt.

2. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more arms are foldable against the rectangular frame.

3. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, where each of the one or more arms are removably secured to the rectangular frame.

4. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein each leg of the set of legs is foldable against the rectangular frame.

5. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein each leg of the set of legs is removably secured to the rectangular frame.

6. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein each leg further comprises a height adjustment mechanism to adjust the height of the infant carseat attachment.

7. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism is a spring clamp.

8. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein the perpendicular pieces are adjustable relative to the longitudinal pieces to adjust the dimensions of the rectangular frame to accommodate different types of infant carseats.

9. The infant carseat attachment of claim 1, wherein at least one wheel includes a locking mechanism.

10. A kit for an infant carseat attachment for a carriage of a Pilates reformer, comprising:

a rectangular frame, formed from a pair of longitudinal pieces, the longitudinal pieces coupled together at respective distal ends by a pair of perpendicular pieces;

a set of legs extending from the rectangular frame, each leg terminating in a wheel;

one or more arms extending from one of the pair of longitudinal pieces, each of the one or more arms terminating in a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism operative to removably engage the carriage;

a seat belt extending from each of the pair of longitudinal pieces,

wherein the rectangular frame is dimensioned to support an infant carseat on the perpendicular pieces and the infant carseat is secured to the rectangular frame by the seat belt.

11. The kit of claim 10, wherein each of the one or more arms are foldable against the rectangular frame.

12. The kit of claim 10, where each of the one or more arms are removably secured to the rectangular frame.

13. The kit of claim 10, wherein each leg of the set of legs is foldable against the rectangular frame.

14. The kit of claim 10, wherein each leg of the set of legs is removably secured to the rectangular frame.

15. The kit of claim 10, wherein each leg further comprises a height adjustment mechanism to adjust the height of the infant carseat attachment.

16. The kit of claim 10, wherein the coupling mechanism is a spring clamp.

17. The kit of claim 10, wherein the perpendicular pieces are adjustable relative to the longitudinal pieces to adjust the dimensions of the rectangular frame to accommodate different types of infant carseats.

18. The kit of claim 10, wherein at least one wheel includes a locking mechanism.