INFANT MOBILITY SCOOTER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD FOR SOOTHING AN INFANT USING THE SAME

Abstract

An infant mobility scooter that enables a parent to easily soothe a fussy infant by allowing the infant to move around in a prone position on their own and/or by the parent, including: a base member, wherein the base member includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, and a rear wall; wherein a front portion of the base member is adapted to accommodate the torso, head and arms of the infant; wherein a rear portion of the base member is adapted to permit the infant's feet to slide thereover and reach a planar surface upon which the scooter is moved; and a plurality of ground engaging wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member.

Claims

1. An infant mobility scooter that enables a parent to easily soothe a fussy infant by allowing the infant to move around in a prone position on their own and/or by the parent, comprising: a base member, wherein the base member includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, and a rear wall; wherein a front portion of the base member is adapted to accommodate the torso, head and arms of the infant; wherein a rear portion of the base member is adapted to permit the infant's feet to slide thereover and reach a planar surface upon which the scooter is moved; and a plurality of ground engaging wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member.

2. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 1, wherein the top surface is continuous and planar.

3. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 1, further comprising a pillow positioned on the top surface.

4. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 3, wherein the pillow comprises a boppy pillow or newborn lounger.

5. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wheels consists of two wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member proximate the front portion and one wheel secured to the bottom surface of the base member proximate the rear portion.

6. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 1, wherein the base member is fabricated from a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, wood, and/or combinations thereof.

7. An infant mobility scooter that enables a parent to easily soothe a fussy infant by allowing the infant to move around in a prone position on their own and/or by the parent, comprising: a base member, wherein the base member includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, and a rear wall; wherein a central portion of the base member is adapted to accommodate the torso, head, arms, and legs of the infant; wherein a rear portion of the base member is adapted to permit the infant's feet to slide over the rear wall and reach a planar surface upon which the scooter is moved; and a plurality of ground engaging wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member.

8. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 7, wherein the top surface is non-continuous and concave.

9. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 7, further comprising a pillow positioned on the top surface.

10. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 9, wherein the pillow comprises a boppy pillow or newborn lounger.

11. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of wheels consists of four wheels.

12. The infant mobility scooter according to claim 7, wherein the base member is fabricated from a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, wood, and/or combinations thereof.

13. An infant mobility scooter that enables a parent to easily soothe a fussy infant by allowing the infant to move around in a prone position on their own and/or by the parent, consisting of: a base member, wherein the base member includes a continuous and planar top surface, a bottom surface, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, and a rear wall; wherein a front portion of the base member is adapted to accommodate the torso, head and arms of the infant; wherein a rear portion of the base member is adapted to permit the infant's feet to slide thereover and reach a planar surface upon which the scooter is moved; a plurality of ground engaging wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member, wherein the plurality of wheels consists of two wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member proximate the front portion and one wheel secured to the bottom surface of the base member proximate the rear portion; and a pillow positioned on the top surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Certain embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by the accompanying figures. It will be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that details not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may be omitted.

[0026] It will be further understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

[0027] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of an infant mobility scooter in accordance with the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 2 of the drawings is a front view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 3 of the drawings is a rear view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 1;

[0031] FIG. 4 of the drawings is a side view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 5 of the drawings is a top view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 6 of the drawings is a bottom view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 7 of the drawings is a perspective view of the infant mobility scooter being used by an infant;

[0035] FIG. 8 of the drawings is a perspective view of an infant mobility scooter in accordance with the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 9 of the drawings is a top view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 8;

[0037] FIG. 10 of the drawings is a side view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 8;

[0038] FIG. 11 of the drawings is a front view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 8;

[0039] FIG. 12 of the drawings is a cross-sectional view of the infant mobility scooter taken along line 5 of FIG. 9;

[0040] FIG. 13 of the drawings is a bottom view of the infant mobility scooter of FIG. 8; and

[0041] FIG. 14 of the drawings is schematic representation of an electronics assembly for use in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and described herein in detail several specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

[0043] It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components, referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings by like reference characters. In addition, it will be understood that the drawings are merely schematic representations of one or more embodiments of the invention, and some of the components may have been distorted from their actual scale for purposes of pictorial clarity.

[0044] Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1-7 in particular, infant mobility scooter 10, is shown, in a first embodiment, as generally comprising base member 12 and plurality of ground engaging wheels 14.

[0045] In accordance with the present invention, infant mobility scooter 10 allows an individual (e.g., parent, friend, babysitter, etcetera) to easily soothe a fussy infant by allowing the infant to move around in a prone position on their own and/or by the parent.

[0046] Base member 12 preferably includes top surface 16, bottom surface 18, left side wall 20, right side wall 22, front wall 24, and rear wall 26. In this embodiment (See FIG. 7), a front portion of the base member is adapted to accommodate the torso, head and arms of the infant, and a rear portion of the base member is adapted to permit the infant's feet to slide thereover and reach a planar surface (e.g. floor) upon which infant mobility scooter 10 is moved. The rear portion is also adapted to receive/accommodate a foot from a parent so that infant mobility scooter 10 can be easily and gently rocked back and forth to soothe the infant. As is best shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, top surface 16 is continuous and planar. In other embodiments, top surface 16 is non-continuous and concave (See FIG. 8).

[0047] Base member 12 is preferably is fabricated from a metal, a metal alloy, a natural resin, a synthetic resin, a plastic, a composite, wood, and/or combinations thereof.

[0048] As is best shown in FIG. 6, infant mobility scooter 10 includes one or more (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etcetera) ground engaging wheels 14, such as, but not limited to, free-swiveling caster wheels. In this embodiment, wheels 14 preferably consist of two wheels secured to the bottom surface of the base member proximate the front portion and one wheel secured to the bottom surface of the base member proximate the rear portion. Preferably, the front wheels are connected to one another via an axle that pivots laterally or side-to-side, and the rear wheel is a free-swiveling caster wheel. In other embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of wheels 14 consists of four wheels (See FIG. 13).

[0049] As is best shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, infant mobility scooter 10 may further comprise securement member 28 (e.g., belt, strap, etcetera), burp cloth 30, pillow 32 (e.g., a boppy pillow, newborn lounger, etcetera), post 34 and/or carrying handles/securement aperture 35. Post 34 optionally includes an aperture so that string or rope can be tied so the same allowing an individual to return infant mobility scooter 10, and, in turn, the infant back to the individual.

[0050] Referring once again to the drawings, and to FIGS. 8-13 in particular, infant mobility scooter 10, is shown, in a second embodiment, as generally comprising base member 12 and plurality of ground engaging wheels 14.

[0051] In this embodiment, base member 12 preferably includes top surface 16, bottom surface 18, left side wall 20, right side wall 22, front wall 24, and rear wall 26. In this embodiment, a central portion of the base member is adapted to accommodate the torso, head, arms, and legs of the infant, and a rear portion of the base member is adapted to permit the infant's feet to slide over the rear wall and reach a planar surface upon which the scooter is moved.

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 14, in one embodiment of the present invention, infant mobility scooter 10 includes electronics assembly 36 having a box or enclosure that is preferably associated with and/or secured to bottom surface 18 of the infant mobility scooter. Electronics assembly 36 generally comprises energy source 38, circuit board/controller (e.g., printed circuit board) 40, primary user interface 42, speaker 44 and optional adjunct components 46. Electronics assembly 36 provides additional soothing support for the infant via white noise and/or calming audio output, such as a song, a tune, a lullaby, a prerecorded message from, for example, a parent or grandparent—just to name a few.

[0053] Energy source 38 is in electrical communication with circuit board 40 and speaker 44. Energy source 38 of the electronics assembly preferably comprises, for example, a primary electrochemical cell, a secondary electrochemical cell, and/or a fuel cell.

[0054] Circuit board/controller 40 is preferably in electrical communication with energy source 38, primary user interface 42, speaker 44, and any optional adjunct components 46.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, circuit board/controller 40 of electronics assembly 36 comprises one or more components, such as a battery, a bridge rectifier, a capacitor, a central processing unit, a communications port, a control board, a crystal, a diode, a fuse, a graphics board, an inductor, an input port, an integrated circuit, a microprocessor, a memory module, an oscillator, an output port a potentiometer, a receiver, a relay, a resistor, a semiconductor, a transformer, a transistor, a tuner, a video processing unit, a wired communications hub, and/or a wireless communications hub.

[0056] Primary user interface 42 is preferably in electrical communication with circuit board/controller 40. In one embodiment of the present invention, primary user interface 42 of electronics assembly 36 comprises a graphical user interface and/or a circuit board having a plurality of user interface buttons.

[0057] Speaker 44 of electronics assembly 36 is preferably in electrical communication with energy source 38 and/or circuit board/controller 40. Speaker 44 preferably comprises a mini-speaker and/or a micro-speaker.

[0058] The present invention is also directed to a method for soothing an infant, comprising, consisting essentially of, and/or consisting of the steps of: (a) providing an infant mobility scooter as is disclosed herein; and (b) enabling the infant to move around in a prone position on their own and/or by the parent to, in turn, soothe the infant. The method may also comprise using an electronics assembly as disclosed herein to generate a soothing audio output to further enhance the infant's soothing experience.

[0059] In another embodiment of the present invention, electronics assembly 36 further comprises one or more optional adjunct components 46, such as a secondary energy source, a light source, a secondary user interface, a secondary circuit board, a secondary speaker, a vibration mechanism, a white noise generator, a thermo sensor, a tactile sensor, and/or a display—all of which are preferably in electrical communication with circuit board/controller 40.

[0060] The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0061] While certain embodiments have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that changes and modifications can be made therein in accordance with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the technology in its broader aspects as defined in the following claims.

[0062] The embodiments, illustratively described herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation or limitations, not specifically disclosed herein. Thus, for example, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” etcetera shall be read expansively and without limitation. Additionally, the terms and expressions employed herein have been used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claimed technology. Additionally, the phrase “consisting essentially of” will be understood to include those elements specifically recited and those additional elements that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed technology. The phrase “consisting of” excludes any element not specified.

[0063] The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and compositions within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds compositions or biological systems, which can of course vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

[0064] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

[0065] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etcetera. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etcetera. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like, include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

[0066] All publications, patent applications, issued patents, and other documents referred to in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent application, issued patent, or other document was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. Definitions that are contained in text incorporated by reference are excluded to the extent that they contradict definitions in this disclosure.

[0067] Other embodiments are set forth in the following claims.