Height adjustment for changing table

Abstract

The apparatus is a height adjustment assembly for a child's changing table with support tubes inserted into sockets at the top of a supporting structure such as a play yard. A height adjustment fixture external to the support tubes rests on top of the supporting structure and has a vertical series of recesses such as slots or holes and a ring through which the changing table's support tube slides. The changing table has an attached latching device that locks into the recesses to hold the table at several heights above the supporting structure. Alternate embodiments include a structure in which the height adjustment fixture contains the latching device and the recesses are in the changing table.

1 . A height adjustment assembly for a changing table comprising: 
 a changing table support attached to a changing table and moveable vertically relative to a supporting structure upon which the changing table support is supported;    a coupling coupled to the changing table support and permitting the changing table support to move relative to the coupling;    a support structure attached to the coupling and extending from the coupling and oriented in the direction of movement of the changing table support;    at least two recesses in the support structure, with the recesses aligned in the direction of movement of the changing table support; and    a latching mechanism attached to the changing table and oriented to mate with the recesses on the support structure as the changing table moves to place each recess adjacent to the latching mechanism, with the latch being releasable.    
     
     
         2 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the coupling is a ring within which the changing table support slides.  
     
     
         3 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the recesses are slots separated by lands.  
     
     
         4 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the latching mechanism is a pivoting lever with a release handle at one end and a latch at the other end with a spring forcing the latch into the recesses in the support structure.  
     
     
         5 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the recesses are equally spaced between a series of lands and the latching mechanism is a gear with teeth that mate with the recesses.  
     
     
         6 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the recesses are equally spaced between a series of lands, the latching mechanism is a gear with teeth that mate with the recesses, the gear is interconnected with a knob by which the gear is rotated, and the knob is interconnected with a releasable latch that prevents the gear from turning.  
     
     
         7 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the support structure includes a spring acting to separate the changing table from the support structure in the direction of movement of the changing table support.  
     
     
         8 . A height adjustment assembly for a changing table comprising: 
 a changing table support attached to a changing table and moveable vertically relative to a supporting structure upon which the changing table support is supported;    a coupling coupled to the changing table support and permitting the changing table support to move relative to the coupling;    a support structure attached to the coupling and extending from the coupling and oriented in the direction of movement of the changing table support;    at least two recesses in the changing table, with the recesses aligned in the direction of movement of the changing table support; and    a latch attached to the support structure and oriented to mate with the recesses in the changing table as the changing table moves to place each recess adjacent to the latch, with the latch being releasable.    
     
     
         9 . The height adjustment assembly of  claim 8  wherein the latch is attached to a spring integrated into the support structure.