WO2013014221A1

WO2013014221A1 - Baby changing table with rotable upper surface

Info

Publication number: WO2013014221A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/064659
Authority: WO
Inventors: Savino TATOLI
Original assignee: ITALBABY Srl
Current assignee: ITALBABY Srl
Priority date: 2011-07-27
Filing date: 2012-07-26
Publication date: 2013-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-27
Also published as: EP2736383A1; ITMI20111410A1

Abstract

A baby changing table (10) is described, comprising a lower part (11) resting on the floor (P) and an upper part (12) for changing the baby. Said upper part (12) comprises a lower supporting platform (13) and an upper changing platform (14), associated with said lower supporting platform (13) provided for laying down and changing the baby. Said upper changing platform (14) is coupled to said lower supporting platform (13) so as to rotate with respect to said lower supporting platform (13).

Description

"Baby changing table with rotable upper surface"

ΐ ΐ Φ

DESCRIPTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of products for infants and children, and more in particular relates to a new baby changing table which is characterized by improved performance and greater use convenience as compared to the baby changing tables currently offered by the market.

It is known that the current market offers a varied, large range of products and accessories for infants, mainly aimed at facilitating carers to bathe their babies or change their diapers and dress them.

These products and accessories include, for example, furniture units specifically dedicated to bathing babies, in particular provided with a tub appropriately configured for the baby's bathing needs, as well as transportable baby baths adapted to be easily disassembled and reassembled, appropriately bed-shaped resting surfaces for allowing a comfortable resting of the baby while changing diapers, and many other types of products and accessories.

Observing the offer available on the market, it is apparent that at least in principle products and accessories provided for bathing babies are different from those provided for changing diapers and dressing the babies.

Obviously, this implies that carers are obliged to use two different accessories, e.g. a baby bath for bathing the baby and then a bed or similar resting surface on which to lay down the baby in order to change the diaper and dress him/her after bathing, with consequent wasting of time for moving the baby from one accessory to the other also with a given risk for the baby's safety itself due to this movement.

It is also known on the market a furniture unit provided with drawers and wheels to be appropriately moved on the floor, which provides in a single product a tub in which the infant to be bathed can be submerged, and a baby changing table, on which the infant can be laid in order to change and dress him/her after the bath.

In particular, this furniture unit integrating the tub therein is provided with an upper surface, acting as a lid, which can be tipped towards the back of the furniture unit, so as to uncover the tub for bathing the infant.

A mattress or PVC changing table is arranged, in turn, on this upper surface, which is provided to receive the infant and is provided with side ridges to prevent the infant from rolling off and falling while he/she is being dried, changed and dressed after the bath.

When using the furniture unit and once the upper surface has been tipped to remain in a vertical position with respect to the furniture unit, the carer bathes the infant in the tub.

Then once the bath has ended and the upper surface has been closed over the tub, the carer lays down the infant on the PVC changing table to diy and dress him/her.

However, while allowing carers to bathe their babies and change and dress them after their baths, this product is not completely free from drawbacks.

Indeed, once the infant has been placed and laid down on the changing table after the batch, the carer needs to work by the side of the baby changing table and the infant.

Therefore, in this position, in order to dry and dress the infant resting on the changing table, the carer is obliged to twist his/her torso while carrying out complex, inconvenient movements, comparable to being nothing short of contortionism.

Alternatively, the carer must appropriately turn the furniture unit, which also explains why it is provided with wheels, providing that there is sufficient room to do so, in order to arrange the infant facing himself/herself and to be able to operate comfortably.

US-2011/0067181 describes a changing table with an upper resting platform which can rotate with respect to a lower platform.

Therefore, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a new baby changing table which improves the products of this type which are currently available on the market, and in particular is such to simplify and ease the operations of drying and dressing babies for carers.

An additional object, related to the previous one, is that of making the step of drying, changing and/or dressing the baby safer, thus allowing the carer to work on the baby in a very practical manner, without needing to carry out uncomfortable, unnatural movements.

The aforesaid objects may be considered fully achieved by a baby changing table as described in claim 1.

Particular embodiments of the changing table of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

There are many advantages, some of which already set forth, which are associated with the new baby changing table of the present invention, such as those listed below by way of mere example:

- great convenience and ease of use for carers who may avail of a single accessory allowing to bathe their babies, and dry and dress them immediately afterwards;

- possibility for carers to arrange their babies after bathing in front of themselves, so as to easily dry and dress them without being obliged to make complex, tiring manual movements;

- greater safety while drying and dressing the baby.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from the following description of a preferred embodiment, provided by way of mere example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig(s) 1 A and IB are two side and front views, respectively, of a changing table in accordance with the present invention in an open, tipped configuration adapted to bathe the baby; Fig(s) 2A and 2B are two side and front views, respectively, of the changing table in accordance with the present invention in a closed configuration adapted to change and dress the baby after bathing;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a lower platform included in the changing table of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of an upper rotable platform included in the changing table of the invention;

Fig, 4A is a side view on enlarged scale, according to the direction of the aiTow IV, of some details of the upper platform in Fig. 4; and

Fig(s) 5A, 5B and 5C are three top plan views which diagrammatically illustrate the use of the baby changing table of the invention to rotate the upper platfoim with respect to the lower platfomi in the closed configuration of the baby changing table in Fig(s) 2 A and 2B.

With reference to the drawings, a baby changing table having the features of the present invention is indicated by numeral 10 as a whole.

The changing table 10 consists of an approximately parallelepiped-shaped fiuTiiture unit which has an outer rectangular profile in plan, with a longer front side and a rear side, and two shorter lateral sides.

More in detail, this baby changing table 10 comprises:

- a lower part, indicated by reference numeral 1 1, associated with and integrating therein a tub 11 a for bathing the baby; and

- an upper part, indicated by reference numeral 12, for laying down and changing the baby after bathing.

Usefully, the lower part 11 is provided with drawers 16, and usually rests on the floor P without the interposition of wheels, therefore the baby changing table 10 is considered fixed and not movable on the floor P.

The upper part 12 acts as a lid for the lower part 11 and for this purpose is hinged onto the latter in a hinging zone 20, corresponding to the rear side along the lower part 1, observed in a plan view.

Therefore, the baby changing table 10 is adapted to take a first open configuration, in which the upper part 12 is tipped and raised with respect to the lower part 11, so as to uncover the tub 11a and thus allow the carer to bathe the baby, and a second closed configuration, in which the upper part 12 is closed and covers the tub 11a, so as to allow the carer to lay down the baby on the upper part 12 and thus change him/her, as shown in greater detail below.

According to a feature of the present invention, the upper part 12 of the baby changing table 10, which acts as lid and can be tipped with respect to the lower part 11, comprises in turn:

- a lower supporting platform 13, hinged along a respective long side onto the lower part 11 to allow the upper part 12 to be tipped and raised with respect to the lower part 11 of the baby changing table 10, and

- an upper changing platform 14, associated with the lower supporting platform 13 and provided for laying down and changing the baby thereon, the upper changing platform 14 is coupled to the lower supporting platform 13 by means of a special coupling system so that the upper changing platform 14 may be manually rotates with respect to the lower supporting platform 13 about an axis orthogonal to said platforms 13, 14, so as to allow the baby's carer to appropriately orient the upper changing platform 14 in the closed configuration of the changing table 10, i.e. about a vertical axis.

Furthermore, the upper platform 14 is associated with a drying bed 15, for laying down the baby, made of a soft material and provided with side ridges 15a having the purpose of holding the baby and preventing him/her from falling off the side.

In detail, this coupling system between upper platform 14 and lower platform 13 consists of two pins, a first pin 14a and a second pin 14b respectively, which protrude and are provided along a surface, in contact with the lower surface 13, of the upper platform 14; and two corresponding guides, a first guide 13a and a second guide 13b respectively, the thickness of which consists of the lower platform 13, which extend along the latter and wherein the two pins 14a and 14b are adapted to slide and be guided by guide 13a and guide 13b, respectively.

The two guides 13a and 13b formed along the lower platform 13 both have a linear configuration with a first guide 13a linearly extending with a respective first end, adjacent to a short side 13c of the lower platform 13, at a respective second end, and with a second linear guide 13b which extends in the direction approximately transversal to the linear guide 13a between a respective first end, adjacent to an intermediate zone of the linear guide 13a, and a respective second end, as shown in Fig. 3.

Furthermore, the first end of the linear guide 13a and the second end of the linear guide 13b are arranged approximately at the same distance D from the side 13c of the lower platform 13, and similarly the pins 14a and 14b are arranged at the same distance D from a short side 14c of the upper platform 14, corresponding to the short side 13c of the lower platform 13, as shown in Fig(s) 3 and 4.

Pins 14a and 14b are conveniently held while sliding in respective guides 13a and 13b formed in the lower platform 13, by means of washers 14c fixed in the tip zone of these two pins 14a and 14b, as shown in Fig. 4A.

By virtue of this configuration, when the upper platform 14 is manually moved with respect to the lower platform 13, the guides 13a and 13b, formed on the lower platform 13, and the pins 14a and 14b, integral with the upper platform 14, are adapted to mutually cooperate so as to determine a rotation of the upper platform 14 in relation to the lower platform 13.

When using the baby changing table 10, once the upper part 12 has been tipped upwards so as to uncover the tub 11a, as shown by an arrow fl shown in Fig(s) 1A and IB, the carer bathes the baby by submerging him/her in the tub 11a.

After bathing, the carer then removes the baby from the tub 11 a, tips the upper part 12 downwards so as to cover the tub 11a again, as indicated by an arrow f2 and shown in Fig(s) 2A and 2B, and places the baby on the baby changing bed 15, associated with the upper platform 14, to dry and dress him/her.

In the closed configuration of the changing table 10, as shown in Fig(s) 2 A and 2B, the upper platform 14 is aligned with the lower platform 13 and covers it completely, so that the pins 14a and 14b of the upper platform 14 are arranged in the end zones of the respective guides 13a and 13b, adjacent to the short side 13c of the lower platform 13 and additionally at the same distance D from such a short side 13c, as clearly shown in Fig. 5A.

Now, in order to dry and dress the baby in utmost comfort after the bath, the carer manually rotates the upper platform 14 relatively to the lower platform 13, as shown in Fig(s) 5A-5C.

In particular, the carer manually acts on the upper platform 14 so as to determine the sliding movement of the pins 14a and 14b of the upper platform 14 along the respective guides 13a and 13b formed on the lower platform 13, so that the upper platform is guided, as shown by the arrows f3, to perform a rotation of approximately 90° relatively to the lower platform 13, and to be arranged at the end of such a rotation in a position appropriately perpendicular to the lower platform 13.

In particular, during this rotation, the pin 14a between said two pins, coupled to the linear guide 13a, slides from the first end of the first linear guide towards the respective second end, and the second pin 14b, coupled to the second linear guide 13b, slides in turn in the second end of the second linear guide towards the respective first end, adjacent to the intermediate zone of the first linear guide 13a, of the second linear guide, so as to guide and determine a relative rotation motion of approximately 90° of the upper changing platform with respect to the lower supporting platform.

Therefore, due to this rotation and at the end thereof, the upper platform 14 and the respective changing bed 15 are arranged in front of the carer, so as to present the baby frontally towards the carer, who may thus operate with great ease and without requiring to perform complex and unnatural movements to dry and dress the baby.

The trajectories of the guides 13a, 13b, i.e. the space occupied in the lower platform 13 with respect to the edges, advantageously allow the upper platform 14 to rotate without this going beyond the longer edges of the lower platform 13. The drawing of the guides 13a, 13b, thus allows to arrange the changing table against the wall.

From the above description, it is thus apparent that the present invention allows to fully achieve the set objects, and in particular suggests a changing table capable of facilitating and materially helping carers when they need to bathe their babies, change them and dress them after bathing.

The object of the invention is further fully achieved even in the absence of tub 1 la and if the upper part 12 cannot be tipped by means of the fulcrum 20, i.e. if a changing table 10 is provided with a lower part 11 carrying a constantly horizontal, non-tipping upper part 12, with only one upper platform 14 rotating on a lower platform 13, as described above.

Obviously, despite the principle and the basic concepts of the present invention, the embodiments and constructional details here suggested of the baby changing table may be greatly varied with respect to this description and disclosure, without departing from the scope of the invention itself.

Claims

1. A baby changing table (10) comprising a lower part (11) resting on the floor (P) and an upper part (12) for changing the baby which comprises an upper supporting platform (13) and an upper changing platform (14), associating with said lower supporting platform (13), for laying down and changing the baby, said upper changing platform (14) being coupled to said lower supporting platform (13) so as to rotate about said lower supporting platform (13), characterized in that:

the lower part (11) comprises a tub (11a) for bathing the baby, said baby changing table (10) being adapted to take a first open configuration, in which said upper part (12) is tipped and raised with respect to said lower part (11), so as to uncover said tub (11a) and then allow the baby to be bathed, and a second closed configuration, in which the upper part (12) is lowered and covers the tub (1 1a), so as to allow the baby to be placed on the upper part in order to be changed, the upper part (12) being hinged on said lower part (11) to allow the upper part (12) to be tipped and raised with respect to the lower part (11) of the baby changing table (10), and in that: said upper resting platform (14) is coupled to said lower supporting platform (13) by means of two mutually transversal guides (13a, 13b), which have both a linear configuration and are formed along said lower platform

(13), and with two corresponding pins (14a, 14b) provided on said upper surface (14), each of which slidingly cooperates with a respective linear guide (13a, 13b).

2. A baby changing table (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said first guide (13 a) extends linearly between a respective first end, adjacent to one side (13c) of the lower platform (13), and a respective second end, and the second linear guide (13b) extends transversally to said first linear guide (13a), between a respective first end, adjacent to an intermediate zone of said first linear guide (13a), and a respective second end, wherein the first end of said first linear guide and the second end of the said second linear guide are arranged approximately at the same distance (D) from said side (13c) of the lower platform (13).

3. A baby changing table (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that said guides (13a, 13b) and said corresponding pins (14a, 14b) are configured so as to determine a rotational trajectory (f3) of the upper platform (14) with respect to the lower platform (13), such that the upper platform (14) does not go beyond one side of the lower surface (13), so as to allow the baby changing table (10) to be arranged against a wall.