Chairs and seats – Supplemental seat
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2002-02-05
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Supplemental seat
C297S170000, C297S188130, C297S378120, C297S378140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343837
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The presentation relates to a portable stadium safety seat for children, and more Particularly, a child's Stadium Seat that convert into a child's booster seat.
PRIOR ART STATEMENT
Currently, safe and secure seating is not available for children who attend events where bleacher, plank or bench type seating is provided as a means for seating. These children are often too young or too small to place on seating that does not have the capacity to support them. Bleacher, bench or plank type seating will not hold them in an upright position or prevent them from toppling over or sliding off of this non-supportive seat. These children are most often held on someone's lap or placed in an apparatus that obstructs the path or minimizes the area needed for others to move freely about.
Children playing in the aisles that are intended for public use often cause accidents. Individuals take children to events and spend a tremendous amount of time trying to keep them safely seated. Some children are left unattended and free to roam around often times getting hurt or causing accidents.
What is needed is a way to safely and securely seat children in an apparatus that can be affixed to a bleacher, planar, chair or bench seat.
A child's stadium safety seat when used properly provides a safe means of seating the child and supporting their bodies in an upright position
An additional problem exists when children are placed in chairs that are too large to accommodate their size. When sitting in a regular chair they are unable to use the table surface because their bodies sit too low to reach the table surface. Some chairs are equipped with arm rests and others are not. Regardless, children are subject to falling from the chair, thus causing needless injury.
What is needed is a seat that can be affixed to an existing chair that securely holds a child, while at the same time, elevates the child so they are able to reach the table surface. The Elevated-seating arrangement also allows them to be able to see what would ordinarily be missed without the elevated seating.
Several stadium seats have been designed for use in cooperation with a bleacher, planar or bench seat, but none possess the safety features that provides safety elements and consideration for children. For example, U.S. Pat. No. D379,047 for Foldable Bleacher Seat with securement straps; issued May 6, 1997 to Stephanie E. Richard teaches such a system. Richard teaches a cushion which may be strapped to the stadium bench. The straps are in an exterior position after folding and may be used for carrying. In contradistinction, the present invention provides strapping which feeds into the interior of the seat base at the front and then backs out through the front wall to Velcro to itself securing it in place. It also consists of safety straps to secure the child in the seat. U.S. Pat. No. D339,695 for Stadium Seat; issued Sep. 28, 1993 to Kahl, et al. teaches such a system. Kahl et al. teaches an injection molded stadium seat having reinforced ribs in the seat and back. The two parts are hinged and fold in a seat to back relationship.
The present invention on the other hand provides a hinge that allows the stadium seat when in the folded position to lock in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,130 for Seat for Bleachers; issued Dec. 03, 1996 to Williams et al. teaches a stadium seat having a cushioned seat and back rest and also has means to attach to seat structure to a stadium or bleacher bench. The attachment means can be fitted to the back as well as the front and has detent positions for fixing the seat to different bench thickness. There are no seat belt straps associated with this seat nor is there any means to carry it in the folded position.
The present invention provides seat belt straps that when reversed to the exterior of the seat can be used as a shoulder-carrying strap. The present invention when used on a chair or flat surface with a back can be strapped to the back portion to provide additional support and safety. When used in this mode, the shoulder and front middle safety belts are used to secure the child in the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,193 for Portable Stadium Seat Apparatus; issued May 14, 1996 to Barry K. Simpson teaches a chair that clips onto the front edge of the stadium bench and fits over the back edge of the bench. The detailed embodiment is a multi-compartment shoulder bag having a similar padded seat and a vertical back support portion and a large storage compartment which extends from the seat when the unit is in position on the bench and a storage compartment which is behind the back rest when the unit is in position.
In contradistinction, the present invention threads through the interior bottom of the seat and straps to the front through a cavity opening. The present invention also provides storage capacity that is accessed through a rear door located at the back of the bottom portion of the seat. This storage area can also be used to house the detachable utility tray and connecting base for the tray. Storage is accessible whether a child is sitting in the stadium seat or not. U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,503 for Portable Collapsible Multi-purpose chair; issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Juan Martinez teaches a device that may be used as a standing chair, a bench chair or stadium bench seat. Martinez uses unshaped elements for clamping to the bench and thumbscrews with clamping pads for clamping. There are legs on the device that fold under the seat while the back is held against the seat cushion by the arms which fold over the back of the upright.
The present invention provides devices that bear no similarities to Martinez' portable collapsible multi-purpose chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,209 for Folding Stadium Seat; issued Oct. 3, 1989 to Robert Handelman teaches a device with replaceable cushions held in place with “Christmas tree” fasteners pushed through the cushion into pre-drilled holes in the molded plastic chair elements. A handle is formed in the upright elements for carrying.
The present invention on the other hand provides a model of a child's Stadium Safety Seat which allows for the seat to be safely and securely connected under a bleacher, planar, chair or stadium bench. It further provides for safety belts to assist in the support of the safety of the user.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The invention is a child's Stadium Safety Seat that converts to a booster seat. The seat affixes to a bleacher, bench, or plank like apparatus that is designed with or without a preexisting back rest. The invention contains a utility tray complete with a cup holder and connects at the front middle base of the bottom portion of the seat. The safety belt attaches to the seat and the waist belt becomes reversible and can be used as a shoulder carrying strap. The detachable parts of the seat are easily stored in the bottom portion of the seat through a rear door access.
The object of the invention is to provide a means of safely and securely attaching a device to a bench, bleacher, chair or planar seat, and safely and securely seat a child in the attached seat.
The invention is to provide safety belts that are affixed to the stadium seat which acts as a medium to support the child while sitting in the seat. This provides a reliable manner in which to support a child while placed in the stadium seat.
To provide a secure means of attaching the safety seat to a bench, bleacher or planar area thus providing a balanced approach of support when in use. Current seats provide connectors on one or two areas of attachable seats. The effect is the imbalance that occurs upon movement either while sitting in the seat or as one is getting out of the seat. The secure approach that the invention provides affixes the portable seat on all four corners preventing the imbalance from occurring.
When in use, the back rest portion of this invention locks in place. The locks must be manually disengaged in order to close the seat. Some current portable seats collapse with the back folding forward upon exiting the seat.
Jr. Milton Nelson
Marsh Richard L.
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