Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02280568 1999-08-20
SOCKET MECHANISM FOR ACCESSORIES
Background of the Invention
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket mechanism. Specifically, the present
invention
relates a socket mechanism which is adapted to mount accessories to child care
devices such as
strollers, walkers, stationary activity centers, high chairs and the like.
The Prior Art
Traditional child care devices such as strollers, walkers, stationary activity
centers, high
chairs, and the like operate adequately for their intended purposes.
Caregivers have found such
devices useful in the care and development of infants. In addition, it is well
known in the art that
a variety of accessories are necessary in the care of infants. Although an
exhaustive list is not
possible, accessories as used herein should be interpreted to include any item
which is used in the
care or entertainment of an infant or child which due to its size or shape is
prone to being lost,
mislaid, toppled, or broken by the infant. For instance, accessories include
but are not limited to
toys, beverage containers, food containers, and the like.
Toys have been found to be beneficial in the care of infants. Toys provide
both an
effective means for pacifying infants who are liable to otherwise become
restless and assist in the
education process of infants by development of basic eye/hand coordination,
digital articulation,
as well as appreciation of basic shapes and colors. Accordingly, toys for
infants are often shaped
and sized to allow an infant to easily and safely handle such toys.
Unfortunately, these toys, as
well as accessories in general, are commonly lost or mislaid by the infant. If
a toy has become
CA 02280568 1999-08-20
lost or mislaid, the infant is likely to become displeased. Accordingly, a
caregiver may expend
substantial amounts of time retrieving the infant's toys. Alternatively,
beverage and food
containers are often used by caregivers to assist in the care of infants.
However, an infant may
undesirably spill the contents of such containers. Once again, the caregiver
may expend
substantial amounts of time in retrieving such containers and cleaning messes
which occur due to
any spillage of the container's contents.
Accordingly, one skilled in the art can appreciate that such child care
devices have
several drawbacks. First, such devices fail to provide a mechanism which
allows accessories to
be securely attached to the device. Secondly, such devices fail to provide a
mechanism which
allows the toys to be removed from the device at the option of the caregiver.
Thirdly, such
devices do not provide a mechanism which allows the toys to be interchangeably
attached to
differing devices. Accordingly, one skilled in the art can appreciate that
several advances would
be desirable.
Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which allows
an accessory
to be securable to a child care device at the option of a caregiver.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which allows
the
accessory to be removed from the child care device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which
allows the
accessory to be interchangeable between different childcare devices.
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CA 02280568 1999-08-20
A further object of the present invention is to provide a socket mechanism
which achieves
the above disclosed advantages while also reducing the opportunity for injury
to the child.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the
description
which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be
learned by practice of
S the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be
realized and attained
by the structure particularly pointed out in the vv~itten description and
claims hereof as well as
the appended drawings.
According to the present invention. there is provided a socket mechanism for
interconnecting an accessory to a child care device. Child care devices are
well known in the art
such as strollers, walkers, stationary activity centers, high chairs, and the
like. Generally, the
child care device provides a surface to w-luch the accessory is secured.
The socket mechanism of the present invention includes a fastener mechanism.
The
fastener mechanism has a key disposed on the body. Specifically, the key has
at least one tongue
and at least one protrusion disposed on the tongue. Furthermore, the socket
mechanism includes
a retention mechanism disposed on the surface of the child care device. The
retention
mechanism includes at least one slot sized and shaped to receive a
corresponding key. In one
embodiment, the accessory includes an engagement portion which is sized and
shaped to be
received by a channel on the fastener mechanism. In an alternate embodiment,
the accessory
may be integrally formed with the fastener mechanism.
In use, the caregiver will secure the fastener mechanism to the retention
mechanism on
the child care device. In particular, the caregiver will couple the tongue
with the corresponding
slot of the retention mechanism. The caregiver may secure the accessory to the
fastener
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CA 02280568 1999-08-20
mechanism by coupling the engagement portion with the channel, if not
integrally formed
therewith. After the accessory is securely attached to the child care device,
the caregiver may
separate the accessory from the child care device. To do so, the user may
simply detach the
accessory from the fastener mechanism, if not integrally formed therewith.
Next, the fastener
may be decoupled from the child care device by removing the tongue from the
slot of the child
care device.
As best appreciated by one skilled in the art. the present invention
substantially advances
the art. As disclosed herein, the present invention allows for the accessory
to be secured to the
child care device thereby substantially reducing the opportunity for the
infant to lose, mislay,
break or topple the accessory. Another advantage of the present invention is
that it allows such
accessories to be easily separated from the child care device by the
caregiver. As such, the
caregiver may separate and store the accessories for the child care device
when doing so is
desirable. Also, the caregiver may interchange a variety of different
accessories to the child care
device. Alternatively, the caregiver may transport a single accessory between
different child care
devices owned by the infant such that the accessories which the child needs
may be secured to
the particular device currently in use by the infant. Lastly, the above
described advantages are
achieved while also providing a device which reduces the opportunity for
injury to the infant.
Specifically, the present invention reduces sharp edges and pinch points which
may present an
opportunity for injury to the infant.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the
following
detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide
further
explanation of the invention as claimed.
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CA 02280568 1999-08-20
Description of the Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further
understanding of
the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this
specification, illustrate
embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to
explain the principles of
the invention. In the drawings:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an accessor~~. fastener mechanism
and a child
care device including two separate retention mechanisms;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fastener mechanism of the present
invention;
Figure 3 is an elevational view of the fastener mechanism of the present
invention;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the fastener mechanism of the present
invention;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the retention mechanism;
Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the retention mechanism of the
present
invention; and
Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross-section of the slot of the retention mechanism
along line
6--6 of Figure 5.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the
present
invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Wherever possible,
the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to
the same or like
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CA 02280568 1999-08-20
parts. The invention will now be further clarified by the following example,
which is intended to
be purely exemplary of the invention.
According to the present invention, there is provided a socket mechanism ( 10)
for
interconnecting an accessory to a child care device (14). The child care
device as used herein
includes strollers, walkers, stationary activity centers, high chairs, and the
like. As best
appreciated with reference to Figure 1, the child care device provides a
surface (16).
The accessory of the present invention is shown in Figure 1 as a toy element
(12) which
includes an entertainment device (18). Preferably, the toy element has a shaft
(20) with a first
end (22) and a second end (24). The entertainment device (18) being attached
to the first end
(22) of the shaft (20). In addition, the toy element (12) includes an
engagement portion (26)
which is disposed proximate the second end (24) of the shaft (20). As shown in
Figure l, the
entertainment device ( 18) is globally the shape of a butterfly. However, one
skilled in the art can
appreciate that entertainment devices having various other shapes are equally
anticipated by this
invention. Further, Figure 1 depicts a tray (30) for a high chair, not shown.
However, one
1 ~ skilled in the art can appreciate that various other child care devices (
14) may incorporate the
unique aspects of this innovation without departing from the teachings
thereof.
As best appreciated with reference to Figures 2, 3, and 4, the socket
mechanism (10) of
the present invention includes a fastener mechanism (32) having a body (34).
The body (34)
including an engagement surface (38) and an abutment surface (40) oppositely
disposed relative
to the engagement surface (38). A cylindrical surface (58) is disposed between
the engagement
surface (38) and the abutment surface (40). Preferably, the engagement surface
(38) and
abutment surface (40) are approximately circular in shape. The cylindrical
surface (58) is
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approximately cylindrical in shape. A gripping portion (60) is disposed on the
body (34) of the
fastening mechanism (32). Preferably, the gripping portion (60) is a plurality
of ribs (62a, 62b,
62c, 62d, 62e, 62f, 62g, 62h) disposed on the cylindrical surface (58) of the
body (34) and
extending radially outward therefrom.
The fastener mechanism (32) includes at least one key disposed on the body
(34). As
shown in Figure 3, the key is preferably a pair of keys (36a, 36b). However,
one skilled in the art
can appreciate that a greater or lesser number on keys may be utilized without
departing from the
novel aspects of this invention. Each key (36a, 36b) extends from the abutment
surface (40) and
includes at least one tongue (42) and at least one protrusion (44) disposed on
the tongue (42).
Preferably, the tongue (42) is arcuate in shape having a radius of curvature
and a
protrusion (44) extending outward therefrom. The protrusion (44) is defined by
an upper surface
(50), a bottom surface (52) oppositely disposed from the upper surface (50),
an outer surface (52)
disposed therebetween, and a pair of side surfaces (~4a, 54b) each being
adjacent the outer
surface (52).
Preferably, a channel (56) is disposed on the body (34) in the engagement
surface (38) of
the fastener mechanism (32) to receive the engagement portion (26) of the toy
element (12). The
channel (56) is approximately square in cross-section. Most preferably, the
channel (56) is sized
and shaped to correspond to the size and shape of the engagement portion (18).
In an alternate
embodiment of this invention, the accessory may be integrally formed with the
fastener
mechanism (32). Specifically, the toy element (12) may be integrally formed
with the fastener
mechanism (32).
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The socket mechanism (10) includes a retention mechanism (64), as shown in
Figure 5
and 6, disposed on the surface (16) of the child care device (14). The
retention mechanism (64)
includes a first surface (66) and a second surface (68) oppositely disposed
relative to the first
surface (66). The retention mechanism (64) includes at least one slot sized
and shaped to receive
a corresponding key. As shown in Figures 4 and S, the slot is preferably a
pair of slots (70a,
70b). Each slot (70a, 70b) is arcuate in shape having a radius of curvature
approximately equal
to the radius of curvature of the tongue (42). Each slot (70a, 70b) includes a
first terminal end
(72) and a second terminal end (74) oppositely disposed and angularly spaced
apart relative to
the first terminal end (72). Each slot (70a, 70b) also includes an inner edge
(76) and an outer
edge (78). Both the inner edge (76) and the outer edge (78) ire generally
arcuate in shape. The
outer edge (78) and the inner edge (76) are spaced a distance apart.
Preferably, the distance
between the outer edge (78) and the inner edge (76) is approximately less than
about 0.5
centimeters. Further, the slot includes a keyway (80) adjacent the outer edge
(78) such that the
protrusion (40) may be inserted through the respective slot (70a, 70b)
proximate the first terminal
end (72).
As shown in Figure 5, the retention mechanism (64) includes a bearing surface
(82)
adjacent the outer edge (78) and the keyway (80). A first reinforcement flange
(84) is disposed
adjacent the keyway (80) and the outer edge (78) of the respective slot (70a,
7b). A second
reinforcement flange (86) is disposed adjacent the inner edge (76) of each
slot (70a, 70b)
proximate the keyway (80). 'The protrusion (44) of each key (36a, 36b) is
spaced a distance from
the abutment surface (40). The outer edge (78) of each slot (70a, 70b) defines
a depth between
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CA 02280568 1999-08-20
the first surface (66) and the second surface (68). Preferably, the distance
the protrusion (44) is
spaced from the abutment surface (40) is approximately equal to the depth of
the outer edge (78).
As shown in Figure 7, a ramp (88) is disposed in the second surface (68) along
the
bearing surface (82) of the retention mechanism (64). The ramp (88) is
positioned along the
bearing surface (82) to abut the protrusion such that when the protrusion (44)
overcomes the
ramp (88) the key (36) is releasably retained in an orientation proximate the
second terminal end
(74). When the tongue (42) is proximate the first terminal end (72), the
protrusion (44) is aligned
with the keyway (80) such that the protrusion (44) may be passed through the
keyway (80).
Most preferably, the angle between the first terminal end (72) and the second
terminal end (74) is
approximately 45 degrees. Although 45 degrees is preferably disclosed, the
angle between the
first terminal end (72) and the second terminal end (74) may be varied as
required by the
particular application. The retention mechanism (64) has been described as
being integrally
formed with the surface (16) of the child care device (14). However, the
present invention
contemplates that the retention mechanism (64) may be manufactured separately
from the surface
(16) and attached to the surface (16) by methods well known in the art.
In use, the caregiver may attach the toy element (12) to the fastener
mechanism (32) by
inserting the engagement portion (26) into the channel (56). The engagement
portion (26) is
inserted into the channel (56) thereby securing the engagement portion (26) to
the fastener
mechanism (32). Next, the caregiver may attach the fastener mechanism (32) to
the retention
mechanism (64). Specifically, the caregiver will insert the keys (36a, 36b)
into the respective
slot (70a, 70b) until the abutment surface (40) abuts the first surface (66)
of the retention
mechanism (64). In this orientation the protrusion (44) of each key (36a, 36b)
is aligned with the
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keyway (80). To secure the fastener mechanism (32) to the surface (16) of the
child care device
( 14), the caregiver will rotate the fastener 45 degrees counterclockwise. In
so doing, the upper
surface (50) of the protrusion (44) is moved along the bearing surface (82)
over the ramp (88)
until the protrusion (44) overcomes the ramp (88). Accordingly, the fastener
mechanism (32) is
thereby coupled to the child care device (14).
When it is desirable to decouple the fastener mechanism (32) from the surface
(16) of the
child care device (14), the caregiver will rotate the fastener mechanism (32)
clockwise such that
the protrusion (44) of each key (36a, 36b) moves along the bearing surface
(82) over the ramp
(88) mtil the protrusion (44) is aligned with the keyway (80). Once the
protrusion (44) is
aligned with the keyway (80), the fastener mechanism (32) may be decoupled
from the surface
(16) of the child care device (14). Alternatively, it is anticipated that it
may be desirable to
reverse the ramp (88) and keyway (80) such that the keyway (80) is proximate
the second
terminal end (74). In use, the caregiver would pass the keys (36a, 36b)
through the keyway (80)
and rotate the fastener mechanism (32) clockwise to couple the fastener
mechanism (32) to the
child care device (14) and rotate the fastener mechanism (32) counterclockwise
to decouple the
fastener mechanism (32) from the child care device (14).
Accordingly, one skilled in the art can best appreciate that the above
disclosed invention
substantially advances the art. The caregiver may easily attach the toy
element ( 12) to the
fastener mechanism (32) by inserting the engagement portion (26) into the
channel (56). Also,
the caregiver may easily couple the fastener mechanism (32) to the surface
(16). As such, the
present invention provides for the uncomplicated attachment of an accessory
such as a toy
element (12) to the child care device (14).
CA 02280568 1999-08-20
Another advantage of the present invention is that the accessory such as a toy
element
( 12) may be easily separated from the surface ( 16) of the child care device
( 14). Specifically, the
toy element (12) may be separated from the fastener mechanism (32) thereby
allowing differing
toys to be attached to the fastener mechanism (32) in an uncomplicated manner.
Secondly, the
fastener mechanism (32) may be decoupled from the surface (16) of the child
care device (14).
Accordingly, the caregiver may remove the fastener mechanism (32) from the
surface (16) of the
child care device ( 14).
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the above described
advantages
may be achieved while also providing a device which reduces the opportunity
for injury to the
infant. Specifically, the present invention has been designed to substantially
minimize sharp
edges. Also, the present invention has been designed to reduce pinch points or
edges in which
the infant may stick objects or their fingers. For instance, the distance
between the inner edge
(76) and the outer edge (78) is approximately less than about 0.5 centimeters
thereby reducing
the opportunity for the infant to insert an object within the slot (70) when
the fastener mechanism
(32) has been decoupled from the child care device ( 14).
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the above described
advantages
may be achieved while also providing a device which reduces the opportunity
for injury to the
infant. Specifically, one skilled in the art can appreciate that the first
flange (84) and the second
flange (86) operate to prevent an infant from inserting an object, such as a
finger, into each
corresponding slot (70a, 70b).
While the above describes the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
invention is not
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CA 02280568 1999-08-20
intended to be so limited. Other embodiments, which will be apparent to those
skilled in the art,
which utilize the teachings herein set forth, are intended to be within the
scope of the present
invention.
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