Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a child's chair for
attachment to the back of a bicycle.
Children's chairs attachable to the back portion of
bicycles are a popular method of child transport. Children
enjoy riding in these chairs and adults derive aerobic exercise
f'rom the activity.
For the manufacturer and retailer o~ bicycles, these
chairs represent an opportunity to provide owners of bicycles
with increased utility of the product. Thus, these chairs are
important items of commerce.
The use of these chairs does, however, involve a
certain element of danger to the child in the event of an
accident. In the past, the upper portion of the child's body
has not been provided with proper protection by the chairs and
there has not been sufficient retaining means to properly
secure the child from being thrown from the seat.
A commonly available form of chair is one that has a
seat portion that extends to only the child's shoulders. This
chair does not protect the child's neck or head.
With these chairs, in a case of accident, the upper
limbs, the head, the neck, and the upper back of the child are
left unprotected.
It is an object of this invention to provide a
child's chair for attachment to the back of a bicycle that,
through the interaction of its component parts, provides safety
to its occupant by giving support and protection to the child's
entire body even in ca~e of accident.
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It is a further object of this invention to provide
a child's seat Eor attachment to the back o-f a bicycle that
provides comfort to the occupant.
According to one aspect of this invention, a
child's chair, moulded from a plastics material, for
attachment to the back of a bicycle comprises a seat; a
body-retaining stump; leg retaining channels, one for the
right leg and one for the left leg, each extending
downwardly from the front edge oE the seat/ the retaining
channels being separated by the body-retaining stump; the
body-retaining stump is located at the front centre of the
seat to direct legs into the leg retaining channels; a back
extending upwardly from the back edge of the seat having an
upper edge above the level assumed by a child's head in use;
sides, one at each side of the back merging with the seat at
their lower extremities and merging with the back at their
rear extremities; a head shield extending forwardly of each
of the sides adjacent the upper extremity of the sides to
confine the head of a child therebetween in use; shoulder
retaining straps anchored to the back at shoulder height and
waist retaining straps anchored to the back at waist height;
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an arm retaining support on the inner wall of each of the
said sides with a horizontally disposed arm support surface
below each of the sides; head pads on the head shields and
back to provide cushioning for a child in use; the
body-retaining stump is located at the front centre of the
seat and has a concave rearward face to, in use, react
against the pelvic area of the child to maintain the body of
the child behind the body-retainin~ stump with the child's
head between the head pads on the head shields; and the
shoulder strapsl waist straps, body-retaining stump and arm
rests co-operate to restrain a child coMforatably in the
chair.
The invention will be more readily understood after
reference to an embodiment as illustrated in the drawings.
These drawings represent only one of many possible
embodiments of the invention and they are not meant to be
interpreted in such a manner as to limit the invention.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an
embodiment of the inventor's chair attached to mounting
brackets;
Figure 2 represents a side view of a child seated
in an embodiment of the child's chair attached to the back
of a
bicycle;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of connecting means that
may be used to attach the chair to the bicycle;
Figure 4 represents a frontal view of a child sitting
in an embodiment of the chair.
In the drawings, the numeral 10 generally refers to a
bicycle chair mounted on the back carrier 12 of a bicycle by
means of bolts 1~. As indicated, in the preamble of this
specification, chairs of this general nature are well known and
the manner of rnounting a chair is well known. Detailed
rePerence to the mounting of the chair is not therefore made in
thi3 specification.
The distinct parts of the chair 10 are especially
designed to combine to contain and protect a child 16 as
particularily illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.
The chair 10 has a seat 18 with a body retaining
stump 20 at its front centre portion which functions to prevent
forward slipage of the child from the seat. This ~tump is
fairly wide and extend~ across a good portion of the width of
the seat to direct the legs of the child into ~he leg-retaining
channels 22.
A back 24 extends upwardly from the seat 18 and has
an upper edge at a level of about the level of the child's
head. Sides 26 and 28 merge with the seat 18 and the back 24
and the head shields, 30 and 32, extend forwardly of the sides
adjacent the upper extremities.
The head shields have openings 34 and 36 to conserve
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the amount o~ material used in the mould. T~le chair is moulded
from a plastics material according to standard moulding
practice.
The inside of each of the sides is formed with an arm
rest 29 to accomodate the child's arm in use within the
protection of the sides. These horizontal arm rests carry the
sides forwardly of their extent in common devices of this kind
and allow for the positioning of the top of the leg channels
in a more forward direction. This more forward positioning
contributes to the provision of a leg channel which will
protect the full leg up to the knee.
Security is provided by shoulder strap 40 and waist
straps 42. Depending on the size of the child, the shoulder
strap is threaded through one of four series of holes 44
adjacent the top of the back as illustrated and the free ends
of the strap join with the waist strap 42, as shown, for
securement.
The waist strap is threaded through holes 48 in the
back portion 24 and is secured around the waist of the child.
A chest strap 50 extends between the shoulder strap
40.
The shoulder strap can be inserted in any one of the
series of holes 44 depending on the size of the child in the
seat.
The head shields, 30 and 32, and the back may be
provided with head padding 52 to provide cushioning for shock
to the child's head. The combination is, in effect, a padded
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safety helmet. Seat padding 54 may be added the seat 18 to
provide the child with further comfort.
From the drawings, it can be seen that the retaining
stump combines with straps, the sides, the back, and the head
shields to securely and safely contain the child.
If the bicycle is upset, the child is safely
contained in the cha1r. His head is protected by the head
shields, his arms are protected by the sides, and the stump
combines with 'che sides and head shield to prevent him from
being ejected forwardly.
