WO2001006895A2

WO2001006895A2 - A baby gym and a clamp unit

Info

Publication number: WO2001006895A2
Application number: PCT/GB2000/002824
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christine Caroline Israel
Original assignee: University Of Bristol
Priority date: 1999-07-24
Filing date: 2000-07-21
Publication date: 2001-02-01
Also published as: WO2001006895A3; GB9917355D0; AU6006600A; EP1199960A2; GB2352390A

Abstract

A baby gym set comprises a plurality of elongate elements (10). The elements (10) are of the same cross-section and are capable of being linked together to form at least two configurations of baby gym. In one embodiment the baby gym (100) is free standing. The baby gym (100) includes two cross-pieces (102) arranged to carry items to attract the attention of a baby. The cross-pieces (102) are connected end to end and supported by a common upright (104), itself supported by two legs (106). In another embodiment the baby gym (16) is arranged to be attached to the side of a cot or bassinet. The baby gym (16) comprises an arm (20) to carry items to attract the attention of a baby thereunder and an upright element (18). The upright element (18) is clamped by a clamp unit (34) which also clamps the baby gym (16) to the side of a cot, bassinet or the like. The arm (20) is pivotable horizontally with respect to the upright element (18).

Description

A BABY GYM AND A CLAMP UNIT

The invention relates to a baby gym and a clamp unit.

A known free-standing baby gym is made of plastics material and is constructed in the form of an A-frame. There are thus two angled legs at each end and a cross-piece supported by the legs and extending between them. Toys or other items to attract a baby's attention are attached to or suspended from the cross-piece. The baby lies on its back and the frame is placed over it so that the baby can see the toys. The toys may be arranged at a suitable height for the baby to be able to reach out and touch or kick them. The two legs at each end of the baby gym are moulded as a single part and the cross-piece is connected to each set of legs by a snap connection.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a baby gym set comprising a plurality of elongate elements, the elements being of the same cross-section and being capable of being linked together to form at least two configurations of baby gym.

In this way considerable flexibility is provided when the set is used. This may be particularly useful in a hospital or creche where there may be different numbers of babies for whom gyms must be provided or for whom different types of gyms are appropriate.

In one embodiment, the set is capable of forming gyms of different length. Thus, the gym may be a suitable length for a single baby, or may be made longer to enable two babies, say, twins, to lie alongside one another underneath an extended gym. The set may thus be capable of forming a gym for a single baby and a gym which is suitable for a plurality of babies.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a baby gym comprising two cross-pieces carrying or arranged to carry items to attract the attention of a baby, the cross-pieces being connected end to end and supported by common leg means at the joint where they meet.

This provides a compact construction.

The cross-pieces may be connected to be axially parallel or may be connected at an angle. Connection at an angle may be desirable where the gym is to be placed in the corner of a room, for example, or to provide different orientation between two adjacent babies.

One end of a further cross-piece may be connected to the joint between the first two cross-pieces. The three cross-pieces may be arranged in any suitable orientation and may be arranged in a T-shape. This provides further advantages in compactness.

Another known baby gym is not free-standing but is arranged to be attached to the side of a cot or bassinet. The baby gym consists of an upright rigidly connected cross-piece or arm, the arm carrying toys or other items to attract the attention of a baby. A clamp is provided on the upright to clamp the upright to the side of a cot of bassinet. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a baby gym comprising an arm carrying or arranged to carry items to attract the attention of a baby thereunder, and attaching means to attach the baby gym to a bassinet, cot or the like, the arm being mounted to the remainder of the baby gym so as to be movable with respect to the remainder of the baby gym.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided the combination of a bassinet, cot or the like and a baby gym, the combination including attaching means for attaching the baby gym to the bassinet, cot or the like and an arm carrying or arranged to carry items to attract the attention of a baby, the arm being mounted so as to be movable between a first, use position in which the arm lies over the position of a baby in the bassinet, cot or the like, and a second position in which the arm and any items carried by the arm do not obstruct access to a baby in the bassinet, cot or the like.

In the known arrangement, it can be difficult to bring the baby out of the cot or bassinet as the arm gets in the way and the items suspended from the arm or the arm itself can collide with the baby as the baby is lifted out of the cot or bassinet. The entire gym can be undamped, but this takes time and baby may be in distress so that it is desirable to be able to lift the baby out of the cot or bassinet as quickly as possible.

By means of the invention, the arm can be simply moved out of the way with the attaching means remaining attached to the cot, bassinet or the like during access to the baby. This may be particularly important in hospitals where unobstructed access to a baby can be critical, in particular for premature babies. The arm may be mounted so as to be movable in any suitable way and may be mounted so as to be movable by pivoting. The arm is then preferably pivotable horizontally. In any case, the arm is preferably movable in two directions from the use position. This provides two options in movement of the arm for convenience. The arm may be movably mounted to a member which carries the attaching means.

The term "bassinet, cot or the like" is intended also to cover, for example, a child seat or pushchair. While the primary use for the invention is for babies, it is also anticipated that it will be used for older children, perhaps up to 5 or 6 years old, who have special needs.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided an elongate element for use as a structural element in a baby gym, the elongate element including an undercut recess which can act to retain a clamping member of a gym or can act to retain a toy or other item to be carried by the gym to attract the attention of a baby.

In this way, the baby gym can be constructed in modular form from similar elements which simplifies manufacture and reduces production cost.

The elongate element is preferably of constant cross-section. Thus, the element can be suitably manufactured by extrusion, for example.

Preferably, the baby gym set, baby gym, or combination of any of the preceding aspects of the invention includes at least one element according to the last preceding aspect of the invention. Indeed, preferably all of the elongate elements making up the baby gym set. baby gym. or combination of any preceding aspect of the invention are elongate elements according to the last preceding aspect of the invention.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a clamp unit comprising a first clamp to clamp the unit to an elongate member which is otherwise axially movable with respect to the unit, and means to transmit movement around the elongate member to a second clamp which is arranged to clamp the unit to another body.

The clamp unit may find uses in many different environments, but in one embodiment the elongate member is part of a baby gym and the clamp unit is used to clamp the baby gym to the side of a cot, bassinet or the like. In this case, as the first and second clamps are separate, the height of the toys suspended over the baby by the baby gym can be adjusted without unclamping the baby gym from the side of the cot, bassinet or the like. This is in contradistinction to the prior known baby gym described above, which can be fiddly to set up at the right height, as the baby gym must be supported at the right height while the clamp is tightened. By means of the invention, the baby gym can be attached to the side of the cot, bassinet or the like and then the height can be adjusted as a separate step.

The means to transmit movement may comprise a complete or partial loop through which the elongate member passes. Preferably, the loop is complete. Movement may be transmitted through the loop from a central point on one side of the elongate member to a central point on the other side. The movement may be produced through a manually operable screw-threaded means. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an element in a first embodiment of the invention to form a module of a baby gym;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the element of Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a baby gym in a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is an underneath plan view of the baby gym of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view from underneath of the baby gym of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation in cross section of the clamp of the baby gym of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the baby gym of Fig. 3 clamped onto a bassinet;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a baby gym in a third embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 is an exploded detail view of the top corner joint of the baby gym of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an exploded detail view of the joint to the legs of the baby gym of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the baby gym of Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the baby gym of Fig. 8; Fig 13 is a side elevation of the baby gym of Fig. 8;

Fig. 14 is an end elevation of the baby gym of Fig. 8 in an alternative position; Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the baby gym of Fig. 8 in the alternative position;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation of a baby gym in a fourth embodiment; and,

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the baby gym of Fig. 16.

The element 10 of the first embodiment comprises a tube of constant cross section, which may be extruded from suitable material, such as aluminium. The profile of the tube is generally in the form of an oval with flattened sides 12. On one side 12 there is provided an undercut intrusion 14.

The baby gym 16 of the second embodiment incorporates two of the elements 10 of the first embodiment. The baby gym 16 is generally in an inverted L shape with a first element 10 forming an upright element 18 and the second element 10 forming a cross member 20 extending from the top of the upright element 18 and connected thereto by a pivot joint 22 enabling the cross member 20 to pivot horizontally with respect to the upright member 18. The pivot joint 22 takes the form of a flange 24 extending outwardly perpendicularly to the upright member 18 and connected to a part (not shown) which is received in the end of the upright member 18. The flange 24 is connected to the cross member 20 by a pivot pin 26 passing through the flange 24 and received by screw threaded engagement in a slider 28 captive in the undercut intrusion 14. The slider 28 may be made from any suitable material and may be made from nylon. The lower end of the pivot pin 26 terminates in a knurled head 30. The slider 28 is held from sliding by a screw 31 which passes through an aperture in the slider into the cross member 20. The cross member 20 has an end cap 32 in each end. The upright element

18 has an end cap 32 in its lower end, the upper end receiving the part mounting the flange 24.

A clamp unit 34 is received on the upright element 18 to clamp the baby gym 16 to a bassinet 36 or the like. The clamp unit 34 comprises a main body 38 and two rotatable knobs 40,42.

The main body 38 of the clamp unit 34 includes a through aperture 55 of complementary shape to receive the upright element 18. The first knob 40 includes an axially extending screw threaded stud 44 which is threadedly received in a slider 46 captive in the undercut intrusion 14 of the upright element 18. The slider 46 is the same as the slider 28 of the pivot joint 22.

The slider 46 is connected to the main body 38 by a bolt 48 which passes through an aperture 50 in the main body 38 intersecting the aperture 55 to be screwed into the slider 46, the head 52 of the bolt 48 lying behind a shoulder 54 of the aperture 50.

The end of the aperture 50 is covered by the second knob 42 which lies below the first knob 40. The knob 42 is round and includes an annular part 56, one end of the central aperture 58 of which is covered by a cap 60. The central aperture 58 is hexagonal in cross section and a bolt 62 with a hexagonal head 64 is received in the central aperture 58 so as to be rotatable by the knob 42. A screw threaded part 66 of the shank 67 of the bolt 62 is received in a screw threaded aperture 68 in the main body 38. The end 69 of the shank 67 is not screw threaded and projects into a downwardly open cavity 70 defined in the main body 38 to pass through an aperture 72 in the wall of a short rectangular ring 74 in the cavity 70. The ring 74 receives the upright element 18 therethrough. A circlip 76 retains the ring 74 on the end of the bolt 62. The face 78 of the knob 42 which is adjacent the main body 38 of the clamp unit 34 defines a recess

80 around the central aperture 58 which receives a boss 82 of the main body 38. A pin 84 extends radially inwardly from the cylindrical inner wall of the recess 80 and is received in a circumferential groove 86 around the cylindrical outer surface of the boss 82. The side walls of the cavity 70 are interrupted at 85 on each side at the opposite end of the cavity 70 from the knobs 40, 42.

Further sliders ( not shown ) are provided in the undercut intrusion 14 of the cross member 20 and toys 87 to attract the attention of a baby are suspended on strings 88 from these sliders.

In use, the first knob 40 is tightened so that the slider 46 is drawn against the undercut surface of the undercut intrusion 14 of the upright element 18 to thereby make the upright element 18 fast with the clamp unit 34. The baby gym 16 is then offered up to the side wall 84 of the bassinet 36 and located with the upper part of the side wall received in the interruptions 85 of the side walls of the cavity 70. The second knob 42 is then rotated. This rotates the bolt 62 which advances by means of its screw engagement with the main body 38 of the clamping unit 34 and thereby advances the ring 74. The ring 74 acts to clamp the side wall 89 of the bassinet 36 between the side 91 of the ring 74 opposite the knob 42 and the opposite wall 93 of the cavity 70 defined by the main body 38. The baby gym 16 is thus fastened to the bassinet 36. The toys 87 will now be inspected to see if they are at the right height with respect to the position where a baby will lie in the bassinet 36. If the height needs to be adjusted, the first knob 40 will be unscrewed while holding the upright element 18 and, once released, the upright element 18 can be slipped on the slider through aperture 55 in the main body 38 of the clamp unit 34 and through the ring 74 to adjust the height of the toys 87. When the toys 87 are at the desired height, the first knob 40 is then rotated to tighten it and therefore by means of the slider 46 to clamp and retain the upright element 18.

By means of the pivot joint 22, the cross member 20 can be pivoted from a position in which it lies over the place in the bassinet 36 where a baby would lie to a position parallel to the side of the bassinet 36, or can be pivoted further to face away from the bassinet 36.

Thus, the baby gym 16 can be fitted onto the side of a bassinet 36 in one step and the height of the toys 87 can be adjusted in a separate step, either with the toys 87 over a baby in the bassinet 36 or with the arm or cross member 20 swung away from the bassinet 36. When a baby is to be removed from the bassinet 36, the cross member 20 can simply be swung out of the way and with a baby lifted out of the bassinet 36. The pivot pin 26 may be tightened manually to determine how far the cross member 20 can be swung and it may allow the cross member 20 to be pivoted through a complete rotation.

The baby gym 16 could also be fitted to the side of a cot, child car seat or pushchair, for example.

Figs. 8 to 15 show a further embodiment. In this embodiment, the baby gym 100 is made up of seven of the elements 10 of the first embodiment, six of the elements 10 being of the same length and the seventh element 10 being longer.

The baby gym of this embodiment is free standing and comprises a cross member 102 which is supported at each end by an upright 104 supported by two legs 106. Each end of the cross piece 102 is connected to an upright 104 by a connector 108. The connector 108 is in an inverted 'L' shape and includes a first part 1 10 which is received in the end of the cross piece 102, and a second part 112 which is received in the upper end of the upright 104. The central portion 114 of the connector 108 which is not received in the elements 102, 104 is larger in cross section than the parts 110, 1 12 which are to be inserted into the elements 102, 104 and is shaped to provide a smooth flush surface with the exterior of the elements 102, 104. The part 110 of the connector 108 defines a screw threaded bore which receives a screw 118 passing through an aperture in the cross piece 102 at the position of the undercut intrusion 14. The part 1 12 of the connector 108 is a push fit into the end of the upright 104.

At the opposite end of each upright 104 there is a slider 120 which is the same as the sliders 28, 46 and is captive in the undercut intrusion 14 of the upright 104 in the same way. A bolt 122 with a large round plastic head 124 has the end of its screw threaded shank 126 received in a screw threaded bore 127 in the slider 120. The shank 126 of the bolt 122 also passes through two kidney shaped apertures 128 into end pieces 130 which are received by the upper ends of these legs 106. The end pieces 130 are mirror images of one another. Each end piece 130 includes a shoulder 132 at an angle to the plane of the end of the leg 106 and the aperture 128 is defined in a flat land 134 parallel to the sides 12 of the leg 106 but offset therefrom. The lower edge of 136 of each end piece 130 is straight and intercepts the curved end surface 138. Extending from the lower edge 136 adjacent the end of the leg 106 is provided a cylindrical extension 139 defining an axial bore 140 to receive a pin 144 extending parallel to the bolt 122 and also received at its end in the slider 120. A bush 142 is provided on the screw threaded shank 126 of the bolt 122 where it passes through the kidney shaped apertures 128 of the end pieces

130 of the legs 106.

The lower end of each upright 104 and the lower end of each leg 106 is plugged with an end cap 32.

Further sliders (not shown) are provided in the undercut intrusion 14 of the cross piece 102 and toys to attract the attention of the baby are suspended on strings from the sliders as in the second embodiment.

If it is desired to adjust the height of the toys suspended from the cross piece 102 or the height of the cross piece itself 102, the bolts 122 are manually unscrewed using the large plastic heads 124. This frees the sliders 120 in the undercut intrusions 14 in the uprights 104. The cross piece 102 can therefore be raised or lowered as desired.

When the legs 106 are spread to their maximum extent, the shank 126 of the bolt 122 will be received at the ends of the kidney shaped apertures 128 and the straight sides 136 will abut the shoulders 132 of the end pieces 130. In this stable position, the pin 144 and bolt 122 are arranged vertically with respect to one another and therefore ensure that the direction of sliding of the upright 104 on the slider 120 is limited to the vertical direction. For compactness, when not in use, the bolts 122 can be unscrewed to allow the legs 106 to pivot together with the shank 126 of the bolt 122 sliding through the kidney shaped apertures 128 as the legs 106 pivot about the pin 144. The slider 120 can then be slid along the undercut intrusion 14 in the upright 104 until it abuts the connector 108. The legs 106 and upright 104 at that end of the baby gym 100 will then be alongside one another in a compact fashion. The part 112 of the connector 108 received in the top of the upright 104 may then be pulled out so that the legs 106 and upright 104 can be laid alongside the cross piece 102 for compact storage.

Figs. 16 and 17 show a further embodiment which is based upon the embodiment of Figs. 8 to 15. Thus, to form the new embodiment, the screw 118 is unscrewed and the connector 108 is pulled out of the cross piece 102. The connector 108 is then replaced by a 'T' shaped connector 146 which includes a second part 1 10 opposite the first. This second part 110 is received in the end of the second cross piece 102 which is then connected to the inverted '___' shaped connector 108. This results in a baby gym which is twice the length of the original free standing baby gym 100. A further end unit, identical to the end unit consisting of upright 104 and legs 106 at each end of the baby gym 100 can then be pushed onto the part 112 of the 'T' shaped connector 146 to support the baby gym centrally. Clearly, the cross piece 102 can be raised in the same manner as for the free-standing baby gym embodiment.

In a further embodiment, the 'T' shaped connector may have the arms of the 'T' connected to one another at an angle. The angle may be an acute angle or alternatively, in a preferred embodiment, the arms may be perpendicular to one another so that two baby gyms with a common central leg are provided at 90° to one another.

The fact that these baby gyms are constructed in modular fashion using the elongate element 10 as a common constructional element makes the system simple and inexpensive to produce.

Using the connectors described, a multiple baby gym can be built up consisting of as many basic baby gyms as you wish. Instead of two basic units being connected at a common leg, three, four or more may be connected in a star pattern or may be connected in series and so a complex arrangement of basic gyms can be created as desired. It is envisaged that this will be particularly useful for hospitals or creches where a large number of babies need to be entertained at the same time and space may be at a premium. The compact arrangement of the baby gyms also enables babies to interact with one another as well as the toys suspended from the gym, as desired.

Claims

1. A baby gym set comprising a plurality of elongate elements, the elements being of the same cross-section and being capable of being linked together to form at least two configurations of baby gym.

2. A baby gym set as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set is capable of forming gyms of different length.

3. A baby gym set as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the set is capable of forming a gym for a single baby and a gym which is suitable for a plurality of babies.

4. A baby gym set as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A baby gym comprising two cross-pieces carrying or arranged to cany items to attract the attention of a baby, the cross-pieces being connected end to end and supported by common leg means at the joint where they meet.

6. A baby gym as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cross-pieces are connected to be axially parallel.

7. A baby gym as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cross-pieces are connected at an angle.

8. A baby gym as claimed in any of claims 5. 6 or 7, wherein one end of a further cross-piece is connected to the joint between the first two cross-pieces.

9. A baby gym as claimed in claim 8, wherein the three cross-pieces are arranged in a T-shape.

10. A baby gym comprising an arm carrying or arranged to carry items to attract the attention of a baby thereunder, and attaching means to attach the baby gym to a bassinet, cot or the like, the arm being mounted to the remainder of the baby gym so as to be movable with respect to the remainder of the baby gym.

11. A baby gym as claimed in claim 10, wherein the arm is mounted so as to be movable by pivoting.

12. A baby gym as claimed in claim 1 1, wherein the arm is pivotable horizontally.

13. A baby gym as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the arm is movable in two directions.

14. A baby gym as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the arm is movably mounted to a member which carries the attaching means.

15. A baby gym substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. The combination of a bassinet, cot or the like and a baby gym, the combination including attaching means for attaching the baby gym to the bassinet, cot or the like and an arm carrying or arranged to carry items to attract the attention of a baby, the arm being mounted so as to be movable between a first, use position in which the arm lies over the position of a baby in the bassinet, cot or the like, and a second position in which the arm and any items carried by the arm do not obstruct access to a baby in the bassinet, cot or the like.

17. A combination as claimed in claim 16, wherein the arm is mounted so as to be movable by pivoting.

18. A combination as claimed in claim 14, wherein the arm is pivotable horizontally.

19. A combination as claimed in claim 16, 17 or 18, wherein the arm is movable in two directions from the use position.

20. A combination as claimed in any of claims 16 to 19, wherein the arm is movably mounted to a member which carries the attaching means.

21. The combination of a bassinet, cot or the like and a baby gym, the combination being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. An elongate element for use as a structural element in a baby gym, the elongate element including an undercut recess which can act to retain a clamping member of a gym or can act to retain a toy or other item to be carried by the gym to attract the attention of a baby.

23. An elongate element as claimed in claim 21, wherein the elongate element is of constant cross-section.

24. An elongate element for use as a structural element in a baby gym, the elongate element being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

25. A baby gym set as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 and including at least one elongate element as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

26. A baby gym as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein all of the structural elongate elements in the set are elongate elements as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

27. A baby gym as claimed in any of claims 5 to 15, and including at least one elongate member as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

28. A baby gym as claimed in any of claims 5 to 15, wherein all of the structural elongate elements thereof are elongate elements as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

29. A combination as claimed in any of claims 16 to 21 and including at least one elongate element as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

30. A combination as claimed in any of claims 16 to 21, wherein all of the structural elongate elements of the baby gym thereof are elongate elements as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

31. A clamp unit comprising a first clamp to clamp the unit to an elongate member which is otherwise axially movable with respect to the unit, and means to transmit movement around the elongate member to a second clamp which is arranged to clamp the unit to another body.

32. A clamp unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein the means to transmit movement comprises a complete or partial loop through which the elongate member can pass.

33. A clamp unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the loop is complete.

34. A clamp unit as claimed in claim 31 , 32 or 33, wherein the means to transmit movement is arranged to transmit movement through the loop from a central point on one side of the elongate member to a central point on the other side.

35. A clamp unit as claimed in any of claims 31 to 34, wherein the means to transmit movement includes manually operable screw-threaded means which is arranged to cause the movement.

36. A clamp unit substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

37. The combination of a clamp unit as claimed in any of claims 31 to

36, and a baby gym, the baby gym including an elongate member to which the clamp unit is clamped by the first clamp.

38. A combination as claimed in claim 37, wherein the elongate member is an elongate element as claimed in claim 22, 23 or 24.

39. A combination as claimed in claim, 37 or claim 38, wherein the baby gym is a baby gym as claimed in any of claims 10 to 15.