Infant soothing device

Abstract

An infant soothing device includes a base, a rocking platform pivotally mounted to the base, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the rocking platform up and down relative to the base and a carriage having an infant restraining device positioned thereon, the carriage shaped to reciprocably move back and forth within the rocking platform.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An infant soothing device comprising: 
 a base;    a rocking platform pivotally mounted to said base;    a drive mechanism for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base; and    a carriage having an infant restraining device positioned thereon, said carriage constructed to reciprocably move back and forth on said rocking platform.    
     
     
         2 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said rocking platform includes an upwardly curved track and said carriage is constructed to reciprocably move on said track.  
     
     
         3 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said carriage includes wheels mounted on a lower portion thereof to allow said carriage to roll on said rocking platform.  
     
     
         4 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said infant restraining device is pivotable with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         5 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said base includes at least one spring mechanism mounted between said base and said rocking platform.  
     
     
         6 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said base includes a dampening mechanism.  
     
     
         7 . The infant soothing device of  claim 6  wherein said dampening device is an air piston assembly mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         8 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said drive mechanism includes a compliant linkage coupled between said base and said rocking platform for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base.  
     
     
         9 . The infant soothing device of  claim 8  wherein said compliant linkage is a torsion drive spring and said torsion drive spring is coupled between said drive assembly and an underside of said rocking platform.  
     
     
         10 . The infant soothing device of  claim 1  wherein said infant restraining device is an infant seat adjustably attached to said carriage.  
     
     
         11 . An infant soothing device comprising: 
 a base;    a rocking platform pivotally mounted to said base;    at least one spring mechanism mounted between said rocking platform and said base;    a drive mechanism for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base; and    a carriage having an infant restraining device positioned thereon, said carriage constructed to reciprocably move back and forth on said rocking platform.    
     
     
         12 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said rocking platform includes an upwardly curved track and said carriage is constructed to reciprocably move on said track.  
     
     
         13 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said carriage includes wheels mounted on a lower portion thereof to allow said carriage to roll on said rocking platform.  
     
     
         14 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said infant restraining device is pivotable with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         15 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said spring mechanism is at least one compression spring.  
     
     
         16 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said base includes a dampening mechanism.  
     
     
         17 . The infant soothing device of  claim 16  wherein said dampening device is an air piston assembly mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         18 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said drive mechanism includes a compliant linkage coupled between said base and said rocking platform for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base.  
     
     
         19 . The infant soothing device of  claim 18  wherein said compliant linkage is a torsion drive spring and said torsion drive spring is coupled between said drive assembly and an underside of said rocking platform.  
     
     
         20 . The infant soothing device of  claim 11  wherein said infant restraining device is an infant seat adjustably attached to said carriage.  
     
     
         21 . An infant soothing device comprising: 
 a base;    a rocking platform pivotally mounted to said base;    a drive mechanism including a compliant linkage coupled between said base and said rocking platform for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base; and    a carriage having an infant restraining device positioned thereon, said carriage constructed to reciprocably move back and forth on said rocking platform.    
     
     
         22 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  wherein said rocking platform includes an upwardly curved track and said carriage is constructed to reciprocably move on said track.  
     
     
         23 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  wherein said carriage includes wheels mounted on a lower portion thereof to allow said carriage to roll on said rocking platform.  
     
     
         24 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  wherein said infant restraining device is pivotable with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         25 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  further comprising at least one spring mechanism mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         26 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  wherein said base includes a dampening mechanism.  
     
     
         27 . The infant soothing device of  claim 26  wherein said dampening device is an air piston assembly mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         28 . The infant soothing device of  claim 24  wherein said infant restraining device is slidably pivotable in an arc with respect to said carriage so that a center of gravity of said infant restraining device is not significantly changed when said seat is slid with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         29 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  wherein said compliant linkage is a torsion drive spring and said torsion drive spring is coupled between said drive assembly and an underside of said rocking platform.  
     
     
         30 . The infant soothing device of  claim 21  wherein said infant restraining device is an infant seat adjustably attached to said carriage.  
     
     
         31 . An infant soothing device comprising: 
 a base;    a rocking platform pivotally mounted to said base, said rocking platform having a track therein for receiving wheels on a carriage;    a drive mechanism for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base; and    said carriage having an infant restraining device positioned thereon, said carriage constructed to reciprocably move back and forth in said track on said rocking platform.    
     
     
         32 . The infant soothing device of  claim 31  wherein said track is upwardly curved and includes wells therein for receiving said wheels.  
     
     
         33 . The infant soothing device of  claim 32  wherein said wells include rails therein to provide a riding surface for said wheels and wherein said wheels include flanges thereon for facilitating the positioning of said wheels with respect to said rails.  
     
     
         34 . The infant soothing device of  claim 31  wherein said infant restraining device is pivotable with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         35 . The infant soothing device of  claim 31  further comprising at least one spring mechanism mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         36 . The infant soothing device of  claim 31  wherein said base includes a dampening mechanism.  
     
     
         37 . The infant soothing device of  claim 36  wherein said dampening device is an air piston assembly mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         38 . The infant soothing device of  claim 31  wherein said drive mechanism includes a compliant linkage linked between said base and said rocking platform for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base.  
     
     
         39 . The infant soothing device of  claim 38  wherein said compliant linkage is a torsion drive spring and said torsion drive spring is coupled between said drive assembly and an underside of said rocking platform.  
     
     
         40 . The infant soothing device of  claim 31  wherein said infant restraining device is an infant seat adjustably attached to said carriage.  
     
     
         41 . An infant soothing device comprising: 
 a base;    a rocking platform pivotally mounted to said base, said rocking platform including an upwardly curved track;    at least one spring mechanism mounted between said rocking platform and said base;    a drive mechanism for reciprocating said rocking platform up and down relative to said base, said drive mechanism being linked to said rocking platform using a compliant linkage; and    a carriage having an infant seat positioned thereon and wheels attached thereto, said carriage constructed to reciprocably move back and forth on said upwardly curved track in said rocking platform.    
     
     
         42 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said infant seat is pivotable with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         43 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said at least one spring mechanism comprises two compression springs.  
     
     
         44 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said base includes a dampening mechanism.  
     
     
         45 . The infant soothing device of  claim 44  wherein said dampening device is an air piston assembly mounted between said rocking platform and said base.  
     
     
         46 . The infant soothing device of  claim 45  wherein said air piston assembly includes a hanger and an axle wherein said hanger is mounted to a piston and has a slot therein to slidably receive said axle and said axle is mounted to either said rocking platform or said base and said piston is shaped to slidably be received by a damper cup mounted in either said rocking platform or said base.  
     
     
         47 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said infant seat is slidably pivotable in an arc with respect to said carriage so that a center of gravity of said seat is not significantly changed when said seat is slid with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         48 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said compliant linkage is a torsion drive spring and said torsion drive spring is coupled between said drive assembly and an underside of said rocking platform.  
     
     
         49 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said drive mechanism includes an electric motor reduction assembly having an eccentric crank attached thereto coupled to said rocking platform to reciprocably drive said platform up and down with respect to said base.  
     
     
         50 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said eccentric crank is coupled to a torsion drive spring by a sliding couple and said torsion drive spring is coupled to an underside of said rocking platform.  
     
     
         51 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said seat is adjustably coupled to said carriage.  
     
     
         52 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said seat is removably coupled to said carriage.  
     
     
         53 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said seat is slidably coupled to said carriage.  
     
     
         54 . The infant soothing device of  claim 53  wherein said seat includes a seat platform and said seat platform includes sliding blocks positioned on at least one side thereof shaped to slide in a track positioned in an upper portion of said carriage such that said seat platform is slidable between a forward reclined position and a rearward upright position.  
     
     
         55 . The infant soothing device of  claim 54  wherein said carriage includes a detent mechanism for releasably securing said seat platform with respect to said carriage.  
     
     
         56 . The infant soothing device of  claim 55  wherein said detent mechanism includes a resiliently biased pivot release button having a protrusion positioned thereon to interfere with a detent block positioned on a bottom of said seat platform, said pivot release button allowing sliding of said seat platform in said carriage when said pivot release button is depressed and preventing sliding of said seat platform in said carriage when said pivot release button is released.  
     
     
         57 . The infant soothing device of  claim 41  wherein said track includes cover pieces to retain said wheels in said track.