Nursery equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904741-B2
Application number	US-202217660607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	May 7, 2021
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

An adjustment mechanism of nursery equipment includes a string connecting a fixed portion and a movable portion, a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and that changes the position or shape of the movable portion by winding up and feeding out the string, a biasing member that biases the reel in such a way that the reel rotates in a winding direction of the string, and a lock member that prohibits rotation of the reel. A biasing force of the biasing member is selected to be smaller than a biasing force with which the movable portion tends to move downward in the vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nursery equipment, comprising:
a fixed portion;
a movable portion that is movable relative to the fixed portion and that is movable downward in a vertical direction; and
an adjustment mechanism that adjusts a position or shape of the movable portion, wherein
the adjustment mechanism includes
a string connecting the fixed portion and the movable portion,
a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and that changes the position or shape of the movable portion by winding up and feeding out the string,
a biasing member that biases the reel in such a way that the reel rotates in a winding direction of the string, and
a lock member that prohibits rotation of the reel, and
a biasing force of the biasing member is selected to be smaller than a biasing force with which the movable portion tends to move downward in the vertical direction.

2. The nursery equipment according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjustment mechanism further includes a one-way clutch mechanism that allows rotation of the reel in the winding direction of the string and prohibits rotation of the reel in a feeding direction of the string.

3. The nursery equipment according to claim 1 , wherein
the lock member includes a reel lock pawl that is movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position in which the reel lock pawl engages with a portion that rotates with the reel and prohibits rotation of the reel, and the second position being a position in which the reel lock pawl disengages from the portion that rotates with the reel and allows rotation of the reel.

4. The nursery equipment according to claim 3 , wherein
the adjustment mechanism further includes an unlock member that moves the lock member to the second position to allow the reel to rotate freely.

5. The nursery equipment according to claim 1 , wherein
the biasing member is a mainspring, and
one end of the mainspring is fixed to the reel, and the other end of the mainspring is fixed to a housing of the adjustment mechanism.

6. The nursery equipment according to claim 1 , wherein
the nursery equipment is a car seat, and
the fixed portion is a seat, and the movable portion is a body restraint strap attached to the seat.

7. A nursery equipment, comprising:
a fixed portion;
a movable portion configured to be movable relative to the fixed portion and that is movable downward in a vertical direction; and
an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a position or shape of the movable portion, the adjustment mechanism comprising:
a string connecting the fixed portion and the movable portion;
a reel configured to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and to change the position or shape of the movable portion by winding up and feeding out the string;
a biasing member configured to bias the reel in such a way that the reel rotates in a winding direction of the string; and
a lock member configured to prohibit rotation of the reel,

wherein a biasing force of the biasing member is selected to be smaller than a biasing force with which the movable portion tends to move downward in the vertical direction.

8. The nursery equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the adjustment mechanism further comprises a one-way clutch mechanism configured to allow rotation of the reel in the winding direction of the string and prohibit rotation of the reel in a feeding direction of the string.

9. The nursery equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the lock member comprises a reel lock pawl configured to be movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position in which the reel lock pawl engages with a portion that rotates with the reel and prohibits rotation of the reel, and the second position being a position in which the reel lock pawl disengages from the portion that rotates with the reel and allows rotation of the reel.

10. The nursery equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the adjustment mechanism further comprises an unlock member configured to move the lock member to the second position to allow the reel to rotate freely.

11. The nursery equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the biasing member comprises a mainspring.

12. The nursery equipment according to claim 11 , wherein one end of the mainspring is fixed to the reel, and the other end of the mainspring is fixed to a housing of the adjustment mechanism.

13. The nursery equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the nursery equipment comprises a car seat, the fixed portion comprises a seat, and the movable portion comprises a body restraint strap attached to the seat.

14. A method for using a nursery equipment, the method comprising:
rotating a reel of an adjustment mechanism of the nursery equipment in a forward direction or a reverse direction to change a position or shape of a movable portion of the nursery equipment connected to a fixed portion of the nursery equipment via a string by winding up and feeding out the string; and
locking a lock member of the adjustment mechanism to prohibit rotation of the reel,
wherein a biasing member of the adjustment mechanism biases the reel in such a way that the reel rotates in a winding direction of the string, and
wherein a biasing force of the biasing member is selected to be smaller than a biasing force with which the movable portion tends to move downward in the vertical direction.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the adjustment mechanism further comprises a one-way clutch mechanism configured to allow rotation of the reel in the winding direction of the string and prohibit rotation of the reel in a feeding direction of the string.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising moving a reel lock pawl of the lock member to a first position where the reel lock pawl engages with a portion that rotates with the reel and prohibits rotation of the reel.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising moving the reel lock pawl of the lock member to a second position where the reel lock pawl disengages from the portion that rotates with the reel and allows rotation of the reel.

18. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising moving the lock member to the second position to allow the reel to rotate freely via an unlock member of the adjustment mechanism.

19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the biasing member comprises a mainspring, and wherein one end of the mainspring is fixed to the reel and the other end of the mainspring is fixed to a housing of the adjustment mechanism.

20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the nursery equipment comprises a car seat, the fixed portion comprises a seat, and the movable portion comprises a body restraint strap attached to the seat.

Assignees

• Graco Childrens Products Inc

Inventors

• Shibata Yuji
• Nishikawa Tadashi
• Honda Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B60N2/2812

  for securing the child to the child seat · CPC title

• B60N2/2887 Primary

  Fixation to a transversal anchorage bar, e.g. isofix · CPC title

• A47D13/025 Primary

  for carrying children in seated position · CPC title

• A47D15/005

  Restraining devices, e.g. safety belts, contoured cushions or side bumpers · CPC title

• B65H54/2857

  Reversal control · CPC title