Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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"Child development apparatu~ for babiesn
The present invention relates to a child developement apparatu~
designed for apprenticeship in locomotion and intended more ;~
particularly for babies aged between approximately three and twalve ~ ~
months. ~ -
For several year~ now, all pediatricians have been unanimous in ;~
advising parents to endeavour, as ~oon as pos~ible, to stimulate both
the physical and intellectual abilities of their babie~ by enabling
them to have a training suited to their age.
For the~e reason~, a large number of ~o-called early learning
game# have made their appearance on the market; very often, such ~ ~ -
games cannot be manipulated easily by children lying Ln their
lS cradles and are de~igned ~olely for infant~ that have reached an age
to master the seated position.
The number of devices or educational games designed to promote
the awakening and training, both physical and intellectual, of
babies as from the age of three months is, in fact, very limited.
The object of the present inqention is to make up for this ~;
deficiency by providing an apparatus permitting the physical -~
training of babies from the age of three months upwards while
timulating the awakening of their intelligence through the pleasure
of play and ob~ervation in a natural, plea~ant position.
This apparatus is characterized in that it is composed of a
frame, from which is suspended a supporting element capable
of maintaining the baby, particularly by the chest and thelabdomen,
lying on its stomach or positioned on all fours, as well as in a
reclining or ~itting position, the supporting element, made in
particular of fabric, being uspended ela~tically to the frame.
All mothers will have noticed how, right from birth, babies ~
experience quite particular pleasure when lying on their stomachs ~;
and thi~ is the po~ition in which they make their first attempts at
independent movement, attempts which cannot be successful as long as
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their mu~cular d~velopment i~ inRufficient.
The main advantage of the apparatus according to the invention
i~ that it enable~ the child to be independent, a~ from the age of
three months, as regards the motivity of it~ members while
facilitating the muscle development of the arms, thigh~, back and
the nape of the neck.
Moreover the elastical suspension of the ~upporting element is one
of the es~ential feature~ of the device aacording to the invention~
it enable~ a combined right and left, up and down dancing movement
to be imparted thereto, which i~ particularly plea~ant for the child.
Thi~ very natural movement enableQ the phy~ical and intellectual
facultie~ of the baby to be stimulated and, at the same time, exercises
a "lulling" action calculated to ~oothe it. ;
According to another feature of the invention, the supporting
element i~ made of a flexible textile or synthetic material, in
particular with a raised nap, matching the Hhape of the baby~s abdomen.
This supporting element is, preferably, provided with two
orifices, in particular edged with foam, to allow the baby'~ leg~ to
pa~ through and cooperating advantageously with a flap defining
pant~ to give the baby optimum support.
Thi~ feature allow~ the babies to be placed in a particularly
pleasant natural position of such a kind as to promote their mental
awakening by developing their faculties of ob~ervation and enabling
them to try out different game~ (early learning boards, mobile~
; ~ 25 placed on a frame in front of the baby, etc.).
According to another feature of the invention, the ~upporting
; element ij~ fixed to the frame by~mean~ of~ad~ustable ~trap~ ena~ling
its inclination to be varied, from a reclining position to a sitting or
standing po~ition.
This feature enable~ the apparatus to "develop" a~ the child
grow~, and also allows the ~upporting element to be converted into a
hammock, or again, into a ueat, as ~oon as the baby has developed
sufficiently to be able to remain in a ~itting po~ition.
Agcording to another feature of the invention, the supporting
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element i~ fixed to the frame, at its front portion located
e~entially in the region of the baby~ arm~, by means of rigid
~trap~, at it~ rear portion located e~sentially in the region of the
baby~ leg~, by means of ela~tic ~trapfl and, if approprlate, in it~
mid portion by mean~ of only ~lightly elastic auxiliary thong~
Thanks to thi~ feature, the device is given a movement that i~
particularly attractive to the baby and that i~ calculated to
encourage it to exerci~e both it~ mu~cle~ and it~ intellectual
facultie~ by facilitating it~ adaptation to game~, whether the baby
be lying on it~ ~tomach or in a ~itting po~ition. ~ -
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The auxiliary thong~ have the advantage of maintaining the child
in a ~tanding po~ition. ~ `
It is, of cour~e, e~ential that the baby, once in~talled on the
supporting element, should be in no danger of falling.
To en~ure this, the ~upporting element is fitted with lateral
thongs forming a belt and, if appropriate, with a chin-re~t or with a
supporting net for the face.
According to another feature of the invention, the supporting
element is formed by a pair of pants extended, in the region of the i-
baby~ che~t, by a #trip, in particular a pad of foam folded into a
handle shape cooperating with a harness.
This particular configuration can be u~ed both in the way
~`~ de~cribed above to promote phy~ical awakening and the apprenticeshipin the motivity of arms and legs for babies a~ from the age of three
months, and for the purpose of training them to walk ln a standing
position~ the baby 1B then suspended by the panta.
Of cour~e, the frame can,be of any shape, without thereby
departing from the ~cope of the invention; an essentially
parallelepipedic shape is however the one that i~ mo~t usually
~- 30 cho~en. The frame can, advantageously, be equipped with castor
-~ " wheels on its lower portion so as to enable the apparatu~ to be ~;
pushed initially; when the child'~ muscle~ and reflexes are
sufficiently developed, it can move forwards on it~ own either on
all four~ or in a ~tanding position.
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According to another feature of the invention, the frame i~
fitted with a ground sheet on it~ lower portion. It can thu~ be
converted into a play-pen, preferably a folding one, if it Le
equipped with a protective net.
S The characteri~tics of the child development apparatu accordi~q
to the invention will be described in greater detail with reference
to the annexed drawings, wherein: ;
- figure 1 is a schematic view of ths Qpparatus according to the
invention,
- figure~ 2a and 2b are front and bacX viewa respectively of the
supporting element,
- figure 3 represent~ the frame without the supporting element.
- figures 4a and 4b are views analogou~ re~pectively to figures
2a and 2b, illustrating a variant of the ~upporting element and of
the frame. ~i
According to figure 1, the child development apparatu~
composed of a parallelepipedic tubular frame l, preferably of
stainless ~teel, from which is ela~tically ~uspended a supporting
element 2, the rear portion 3 of which matchec the ~hape of the
; 20 abdomen of a baby aged from three to twelve month~ and i~ provided
with two orifices 4 designed to allow the baby~ leg~ to pa~e
through. The supporting element 2 i~ fixed to the frame l, at it~ ~,
.
front portion, by mean~ of rigid 3traps S and, at it~ rear portion,
by meane of ela~tic ~trap~ 6, enabling the baby to rock lt~elf,
which prooure~ a particularly plea~ant ~en~ation.
The atrap~ 5 and 6 are ad~u~table BO that the inclination of
supportinq elemen!t 2 can be varied in accordance both with the age
of the baby and the effect ~ought after ~ ~upporting elemeni 2 can
also ~erve as a hammock.
Lateral thong~ 7 enable the baby to be maintained in all casesi
and prevent any risk of falling.
; Supporting element 2 i#, moreover, equipped with a ground sheet
8, a~ well as with castor wheels 9 enabling it to be di~placed.
According to figure 3, frame l, without any ~upporting element,
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can be used as a play-pen. It is particularly advantageou~ to give it
a configuration enabling to fold it back.
According to fis~ure~ 2a and 2b, supporting element 2 carries, on
it~ rear portion provided with orifices 4, a flap defining pants 10
5 that are extended forwarda ln the region of the baby~ chest by a
foam pad 11, folded into a handle shape which carrie~ the rigid
atraps 5 and cooperates with a harne~s 12 enabling the baby to be ~ -
maintained in a lying po~ition on its back.
Slightly ela~tic auxiliary thonga 7' fixed to frame 1 enable the
10 child to be better ~upported in a standing positlon. ~;
A chin-rest 13 located on the front portlon of supporting
element 2 can be u~ed to maintain the baby~e face whan the apparatu~
is used for a very young child on all four~.
In the variant represented in figures 4a and 4b, the rear
15 portion of ~upporting element 2~ is extended by a double fabric with
a raised nap that clo~e~ around the attaching ~trap~ 15 80 as to
form a resting ~urface for the baby~ legs in lying position. Here,
strap~ 15 are rigid and are attached to the frame 1~ by helicoidal
~prings 16 to play the same part as straps 6 in figures 2a and 2b.
20 Pod shaped ~upporting element 2~ is further extended forwards by a
~trip of fabric 17 which is fastened to frame 1~ by the rigid front
straps 18. The function of this strip of fabric i~ to ensure optimum
holding of the baby'u head when the baby i~ lying on its back.
Frame 1~ illustrated by flgures 4a and 4b is also A variant of
25 that ~hown in figure 1 in that it has the form of a tubular frame,
here rectangular, which, in the region of its mid portion, is
~upported by a ba~e, not shown, po~ibly equipped with castor
wheels. Articulation~ l9 with lock screwa 20 can be used to ad~ust
the inclination of frame 1~ ~upporting pod 2~ when the baby is lying
30 on it.
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