Repositionable Infant Support Structures

Abstract

An infant support structure is disclosed. The infant support structure includes a support base and a seat that is removably coupled to the support base. The seat is rotationally repositionable about an axis, such as an axis generally perpendicular to a support surface, and is adapted to be reoriented from a first seat facing position to a second seat facing position, and vice versa, whether it is coupled to the support base or not.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An infant support structure comprising:
 a support base to support the infant support structure on a support surface; and   a seat assembly that is removably mountable on the support base comprising:
 a child receiving portion; and 
 a ground engaging assembly configured to engage the support surface when the seat assembly is removed from the support base, wherein the child receiving portion is rotatably repositionable with respect to the ground engaging assembly when the seat assembly is removed from the support base and rotatably repositionable with respect to the support base when the seat assembly is mounted on the support base. 
   
     
     
         2 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the support base further comprises:
 a carriage coupled to the support base and configured to receive the seat assembly, wherein the carriage is configured to impart movement to the seat assembly when the seat assembly is mounted on the support base via the carriage.   
     
     
         3 . The infant support structure of  claim 2 , wherein the movement imparted to the seat assembly by the carriage provides a first motion to a child disposed in the seat assembly when the child receiving portion is in a first seat facing position and the movement imparted to the seat assembly by the carriage provides a second motion to a child disposed in the seat assembly when the child receiving portion is in a second seat facing position, wherein the first seat facing position is rotationally offset from the second seat facing position. 
     
     
         4 . The infant support structure of  claim 3 , wherein the first motion is a head-to-toe oscillatory motion and the second motion is a side-to-side oscillatory motion. 
     
     
         5 . The infant support structure of  claim 2 , wherein the support base further comprises:
 a housing, wherein the carriage is operable to move relative to the housing to impart movement to the seat assembly.   
     
     
         6 . The infant support structure of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a drive assembly configured to drive the carriage along a predetermined path such that the seat assembly oscillates with respect to the support base when the seat assembly is coupled to the support base via the carriage.   
     
     
         7 . The infant support structure of  claim 2 , wherein the carriage comprises:
 a hanger arm, and the movement imparted to the seat assembly when the seat assembly is mounted to the carriage is a reciprocal swinging motion.   
     
     
         8 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging assembly is configured to permit movement of the seat assembly when the ground engaging assembly engages the support surface so as to provide a first motion to a child disposed in the seat assembly when the child receiving portion is in a first seat facing position and a second motion to a child disposed in the seat assembly when the child receiving portion is in a second seat facing position, wherein the first seat facing position is rotationally offset from the second seat facing position. 
     
     
         9 . The infant support structure of  claim 8 , wherein the first motion is a head-to-toe oscillatory motion and the second motion is a side-to-side oscillatory motion. 
     
     
         10 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging assembly is spaced from the support surface when the seat assembly is mounted on the support base and the ground engaging assembly is configured to engage the support surface when the seat assembly is removed from the support base. 
     
     
         11 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the child receiving portion is configured to rotate about an axis oriented substantially perpendicularly to the support surface both when mounted on and removed from the support base. 
     
     
         12 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging assembly includes at least one rocker rail, so that the seat assembly is configured as a rocker when the seat assembly is removed from the support base. 
     
     
         13 . The infant support structure of  claim 12 , wherein rotation of the child receiving portion with respect to the at least one rocker rail permits both a head-to-toe rocking motion and a side-to-side rocking motion. 
     
     
         14 . An infant support structure comprising:
 a support base to support the infant support structure on a support surface; and   a seat assembly configured to be removably mounted on the support base, wherein the seat assembly is configured to undergo a first oscillatory motion when mounted on the support base and the seat assembly is configured to undergo a second oscillatory motion when the seat assembly is removed from the support base and engaged with the support surface, wherein the seat assembly includes a child receiving portion configured to be rotationally repositioned when mounted on or removed from the support base.   
     
     
         15 . The infant support structure of  claim 14 , wherein the seat assembly further comprises:
 a ground engaging portion including at least one rocker rail, the at least one rail configured to movably engage the support surface to permit the second oscillatory motion when the seat assembly is removed from the support base.   
     
     
         16 . The infant support structure of  claim 15  wherein rotation of the child receiving portion with respect to the at least one rocker rail permits both a head-to-toe rocking motion and a side-to-side rocking motion. 
     
     
         17 . The infant support structure of  claim 14 , wherein the infant support structure is configured as a swing when the seat assembly is mounted on the support base and the infant support structure is configured as a rocker when the seat assembly is removed from the support base. 
     
     
         18 . The infant support structure of  claim 14 , wherein the seat assembly further comprises:
 a ground engaging portion, wherein the child receiving portion provides at least two rotational seating positions with respect to the support base when the seat is mounted on the support base and at least two rotational seating positions with respect to the ground engaging portion when the seat assembly is removed from the support base.