Repositionable Infant Support Structures

Abstract

An infant support structure is disclosed. The infant support structure includes a support base and a seat assembly that is removably coupled to the support base. The seat is rotationally repositionable with respect to the support base, such as about an axis generally perpendicular to the 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, the support base including a carriage at least partially housed in the support base; and   a seat assembly that is removably coupleable to the carriage, wherein the carriage is configured to impart movement to the seat assembly when the seat assembly is coupled to the carriage, the seat assembly comprising:
 a child receiving portion that is rotatably repositionable with respect to the support base when the seat assembly is coupled to the carriage,; and 
 a ground engaging assembly configured to engage the support surface when the seat assembly is decoupled from the support base, wherein the child receiving portion is rotatably repositionable with respect to the ground engaging assembly when the seat assembly is decoupled from the support base. 
   
     
     
         2 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the child receiving portion and the ground engaging portion are each independently rotatably repositionable with respect to the support base when the seat assembly is coupled to the carriage. 
     
     
         3 . The infant support structure of  claim 2 , wherein, when coupled to the carriage, the child receiving portion is rotatably repositionable with respect to both the ground engaging assembly and the support base and the ground engaging assembly is rotatably repositionable with respect to the support base. 
     
     
         4 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the child receiving portion and the ground engaging portion are each rotatably repositionable about an axis oriented generally perpendicular to the support surface. 
     
     
         5 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein rotatably repositioning the child receiving portion with respect to the ground engaging assembly or the support base rotates the seat from a first seat facing position to a second seat facing position. 
     
     
         6 . The infant support structure of  claim 5 , 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 the 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 the second seat facing position. 
     
     
         7 . The infant support structure of  claim 6 , wherein the first motion is a head-to-toe oscillatory motion and the second motion is a side-to-side oscillatory motion. 
     
     
         8 . The infant support structure of  claim 5 , 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 the first seat facing position and a second motion to a child disposed in the seat assembly when the child receiving portion is in 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  further comprising:
 a drive assembly configured to drive the carriage along a predetermined path such that the seat assembly moves in an oscillatory gliding motion with respect to the support base when the seat assembly is coupled to the carriage. 
 
     
     
         11 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging assembly is configured to be spaced from the support surface when seat assembly is coupled to the carriage and the ground engaging assembly is configured to engage the support surface when the seat assembly is decoupled from the carriage. 
     
     
         12 . The infant support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging assembly includes at least one rocker rail and the seat assembly is configured as a rocker when decoupled from the carriage. 
     
     
         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, the support base comprising:
 a housing; 
 a carriage operable to move relative to the housing; and 
   a seat assembly configured to be removably mounted on the carriage, wherein the seat assembly is configured to undergo a first oscillatory motion when mounted on the carriage and the seat assembly is configured to undergo a second oscillatory motion when the seat assembly is removed from the carriage 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 child receiving portion is configured be rotated about an axis oriented generally perpendicular to the support surface. 
     
     
         16 . The infant support structure of  claim 14 , wherein the seat assembly further comprises:
 a leg portion configured to engage the support surface when the seat assembly is removed from the carriage.   
     
     
         17 . The infant support structure of  claim 16 , wherein the child receiving portion is rotationally repositionable with respect to the leg portion. 
     
     
         18 . The infant support structure of  claim 16 , wherein the leg portion is rotatably coupled to the support base when the seat assembly is attached to the support base. 
     
     
         19 . The infant support structure of  claim 14 , wherein the child receiving portion is rotationally repositionable between a first seat position that provides head-to-toe oscillatory motion and a second seat position that provides side-to-side oscillatory motion. 
     
     
         20 . The infant support structure of  claim 16 , wherein the wherein the leg portion includes at least one rocker rail and the seat assembly is configured as a rocker when removed from the support base.