GB2502389A

GB2502389A - A hood for a child seat

Info

Publication number: GB2502389A
Application number: GB1221631.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Stuart Kluge; Stephen Alan Shaw; Stephen Barry Howarth; Mark Swift; Martin James Stephenson
Original assignee: COSATTO Ltd
Current assignee: COSATTO Ltd
Priority date: 2012-11-30
Filing date: 2012-11-30
Publication date: 2013-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2032-11-30
Also published as: GB2502389B; WO2014083350A1

Abstract

A hood 100 for a child seat in, for example, a pushchair 110 is provided. A provision for diversion of a child 104 in a seat, such as a pushchair 110, is provided within the hood 100. A hood 100 comprises a display pocket 102 suitable for receiving a media device 106. The display pocket 102 is arranged on the hood interior for visibility of a media device106 to a passenger 104 in the seat. By arranging the pocket 102 on the hood interior, the media device 106 can both be viewed by a passenger, and also be removed easily.

Description

The present invention relates to a hood for a child seat.

For travel with children various kinds of seats are used, such as pushchairs.

Children can however easily become restless, especially when seatbound.

Therefore a provision for diversion of a child in a seat is necessary.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hood for a seat (for example for a pushchair) comprising a display pocket suitable for receiving a media device, wherein the display pocket is arranged on the hood interior for visibility of a media device to a passenger in the seat.

By arranging the pocket on the hood interior, the media device can both be viewed by a passenger, and also be removed easily. This can enable a simple and versatile design that can accommodate a variety of media devices, and be implemented according to the user's requirements.

Preferably, the hood comprises a first portion with the display pocket and a second collapsible portion for retracting or deploying the first portion. This can enable the display to be moved in to and out of a viewing configuration.

Preferably, the hood is arranged to bring the first portion approximately parallel to a seat back inclination in a deployed configuration. Preferably the hood is arranged to bring the first portion approximately orthogonal to the seat back inclination in a retracted configuration. This can enable ease of control of viewing activity by passenger Preferably, the hood comprises a fastening for securing the collapsible portion in a retracted position. This can enable control over deployment For ease of manufacture and use, the fastening preferably comprises at least one of: a zipper, a button, a hook-and-loop fastener, and a catch; and is preferably a zipper.

Preferably, the pocket comprises a formation such as a closure for retaining the media device in the pocket. This can secure the media device, in particular when retracting or deploying the hood or portions of the hood, and can prevent a media device from unwanted removal, damage from falling, and injuring a passenger.

For ease of manufacture and use, the formation may comprise a zipper or a flap.

A flap can enable protection against dampness.

Preferably, the pocket is arranged to hold a media device within the pocket by means of elastic tension. This can enable securing of the media device to prevent displacement of the device within the pocket (e.g. due to seat motion), and can thereby enable maintaining viewing quality. It can also assist in preventing warping of a display window and can thereby enable maintaining viewing quality.

The pocket may alternatively or additionally provide a flap or bracket for retaining the media device.

For design simplicity the elastic tension may be between the pocket and the hood.

For versatility the elastic tension may be between a panel of the pocket and a flap within the pocket.

Preferably, the pocket comprises a transparent (such as transparent plastic or mashing) window for visibility of a media device. This can enable protection of a media device within pocket. The pocket may alternatively comprise an open face or an open window.

Preferably, the window is comprised of PVC. PVC is durable and does not impede interaction with a capacitance touch screen type of media device.

Preferably, there is an opening in the hood for inserting or removing a media device into or from the pocket. This can enable ease of access for a guardian and at the same time prevent passenger access and unintended removal.

Preferably, the opening comprises a closure for sealing the hood. This can prevent moisture from entering the pocket and can secure the media device from unintentional removal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pushchair, pram or car seat comprising a hood as described above.

The invention extends to methods and/or apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus aspects, and vice versa. Furthermore, any, some and/or all features in one aspect can be applied to any, some and/or all features in any other aspect, in any appropriate combination.

It should also be appreciated that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the invention can be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently.

Furthermore, features implemented in hardware may generally be implemented in software, and vice versa. Any reference to software and hardware features herein should be construed accordingly.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following exemplary embodiments that are described with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 shows a pushchair with a display pocket for a media device; Figure 2 shows the pushchair of Figure 1 with the hood retracted; Figure 3 shows a display pocket with a zipper; Figure 4 shows a display pocket with a zipper; Figure 5 shows a pushchair hood with a flap for the display pocket; Figure 6a shows a pushchair with a flap for the display pocket; and Figure 6b shows a pushchair with a flap for the display pocket.

Figure 1 shows a pushchair 110 with a hood 100 and integrated in the hood 100 a display pocket 102. The display pocket 102 can hold a media device 106 such as a computing device, a smart phone or a tablet. The media device 106 can play media content such as videos for display and for acoustic perception. The media device 106 typically has an integrated loudspeaker and does not require additional loudspeakers. The media device 106 typically has a battery and does not require an external power supply. Therefore the media device 106 can be placed in the display pocket 102 and media be displayed with no further provisions necessary.

The display pocket 102 is located on the interior of the hood 100, in a position where it is in the line of sight 108 of a child 104 in the pushchair 110. For convenient viewing of the media device 106 display, the display is approximately orthogonal to the line of sight 108, or approximately parallel with the inclination of the seat 118 of the pushchair 110 or at least within say 25 or 15 or 10 degrees of parallel.

In use the adult can insert a media player 106 into the display pocket 102 when desired -for example when in a shop where the adult is otherwise engaged and unable to attend to the child. The adult can remove the media player 106 from the display pocket 102 when desired -for example on arrival at a restaurant where the pushchair remains unattended, and unauthorised access to the media player 106 is unfavourable.

The hood 100 provides shelter to a child in the seat from direct sunlight. For display purposes this is advantageous as displays can be seen better with dimmed ambient light, especially if the display is dim. If the hood 100 is required to provide shade, but display of the media device 106 is not desired, then the hood 100 can be partially retracted. The display pocket 102 is on a first panel 112 of the hood 100. A second panel 114 is arranged between the frame of the pushchair 110 and the first panel. The second panel 114 can be collapsed, as shown in Figure 2, so that the first panel 112 is retracted and drawn back toward the frame of the pushchair 110. To fasten the first panel 112 in the retracted position, a zipper 116 is provided for fastening the ends of the second panel 114 to one another to collapse the second panel 114. In the retracted position, the display pocket 102 is out of the line of sight 108 of a child 104 in the pushchair 110. The first panel can still provide shade to the child, while preventing the media device 106 from obstructing the child's panorama of the outside of the pushchair.

The display pocket 102 is sized to receive different makes of media devices. For example, the display pocket is approximately 23 cm by 29 cm and 2 cm deep, although it might be as large as 40 cm by 30 cm by 5cm deep or as small as 15cm by 10 cm by 1.5cm deep. Figure 3 shows a display pocket with edges 304 that are bound to the hood material and a PVC window 302 facing the child 104.

The PVC window 302 can hold the media device 106 within the pocket 102 by means of elastic tension between the pocket and the hood. PVC is suitably transparent and robust. The elastic tension can also prevent the PVC window 302 from warping, which could adversely affect the display quality.

Figures 3 and 4 shows display pockets with an opening that can be fastened closed with a zipper 300. Alternatives can replace the zipper 300, for example a simple slit, a slit with a flap, a flap with a button, or a slit with a hook-and-loop fastener.

Figure 4b shows an additional (interior) flap 306 into which the media player 106 is tucked, so as to fix the media device within the pocket 102. The additional flap 306 can stretch over the media player and provide elastic tension that restrains the media player in the pocket. The additional flap 306 can thereby enable fixation of the media player 106 within the pocket 102 even if the pocket 102 is larger than the media player 106, which in turn can enable the pocket to be sized large enough to accommodate different makes of media player 106. The additional (interior) flap may be made of PVC or may be made of a resilient material (such as elastic). Alternatively or additionally, a strap (which itself may be elasticated) may be provided at a position within the pocket 102 other than at one end, such as across the mid-point of the pocket.

For ease of access to the media player 106 into the display pocket 102 the pocket opening (e.g. the zipper 300 of Figures 3 and 4) can be positioned near the edge of the hood. Alternatively or in addition, a pocket access opening 402 in the hood 100 can provide access to the pocket 102. Figure 5 shows an example where a flap 400 protects a pocket access opening 402, with the pocket access opening 402 and the pocket opening aligned, and both positioned away from the edge of the hood. The flap 400 may be elongate, may extend across most or all of the width of the hood, may be a smaller (squared) flap, may be a lapel style flap, and/or may only be a flap at one or two relevant corners of the pocket access opening 402.

Figures 6a and 6b show the media player 106 being inserted from outside of the hood 100 from the top portion of the first panel 112. Figure 6a shows the flap 400 opened to gain access to the pocket access opening 402 and to the display pocket 102 on the interior of the hood 100. The media player 106 slides into the pocket 102. The closure of the pocket 102 can be omitted, because the media player 106 is lodged in the pocket 102 by gravity. Figure 6b shows the flap 400 replaced over the pocket access opening 402. The pocket access opening 402 in the hood can include in addition to or alternatively to the flap 400 a closure such as zipper, a hook-and-loop fastener, a flap, or a flap with a button, for example.

To prevent egress of rain through the pocket access opening 402, a rain cover can be provided.

Although the hood is described with reference to a pushchair, it can be provided as a hood that is suitable for mounting on other types of child seats including for example car seats and prams.

It will be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Each feature disclosed in the description, and (where appropriate) the claims and drawings may be provided independently or in any appropriate combination.

Reference numerals appearing in the claims are by way of illustration only and shall have no limiting effect on the scope of the claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A hood for a seat comprising a display pocket suitable for receiving a media device, wherein the display pocket is arranged on the hood interior for visibility of a media device to a passenger in the seat.
2. A hood according to Claim 1 wherein the hood comprises a first portion with the display pocket and a second collapsible portion for retracting or deploying the first portion.
3. A hood according to Claim 2 wherein the hood is arranged to bring the first portion approximately parallel to a seat back inclination in a deployed configuration.
4. A hood according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the hood is arranged to bring the first portion approximately orthogonal to the seat back inclination in a retracted configuration.
5. A hood according to Claim 2, 3 or 4 comprising a fastening for securing the collapsible portion in a retracted position.
6. A hood according to Claim 5 wherein the fastening comprises at least one of: a zipper, a button, a hook-and-loop fastener, and a catch; and is preferably a zipper.
7. A hood according to any preceding claim wherein the pocket comprises a formation such as a closure for retaining the media device in the pocket.
8. A hood according to Claim 7 wherein the formation comprises a zipper.
9. A hood according to Claim 7 or 8 wherein the formation comprises a flap.
10.A hood according to any preceding claim wherein the pocket is arranged to hold a media device within the pocket by means of elastic tension.
11.A hood according to Claim 10 wherein the elastic tension is between the pocket and the hood.
12.A hood according to Claim 10 wherein the elastic tension is between a panel of the pocket and a flap within the pocket.
13.A hood according to any preceding claim wherein the pocket includes a transparent window for visibility of a media device.
14. A hood according to claim 13 wherein the window is comprised of PVC.
15.A hood according to any preceding claim comprising an opening in the hood for inserting or removing a media device into or from the pocket.
16.A hood according to Claim 15 wherein the opening comprises a closure for sealing the hood.
17.A pushchair, pram or car seat comprising a hood according to any preceding claim.
18. A hood for a child seat substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying figures.
19.A pushchair substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying figures.