Infant care apparatus

A method comprising:

• providing an infant apparatus having an infant support, where the infant apparatus includes a base and an infant support;
• and
• releasably coupling the infant support coupling to the base, where the infant support coupling including:
• a movable support that is separate and distinct from the infant support, the movable support is movably connected to the base and disposed on the base so as to form a support seat that engages and supports the infant support on the base, with the movable support in a first position relative to the base, and
• actuable grip members actuating between a closed position and an open position for capturing and releasing the infant support to the base, the actuable grip members being automatically actuable between the closed and open positions by action of the movable support moving to the first position.

An infant apparatus comprising:

• an infant support;
• a base;
• and
• an infant support coupling arranged so as to releasably couple the infant support to the base, the infant support coupling including:
• a movable support that is separate and distinct from the infant support, the movable support is movably connected to the base and disposed on the base so as to form a support seat that engages and supports the infant support on the base, and
• a cam lock mechanism having a reciprocating locking arm configured to lock the infant support to the base
• wherein the cam lock mechanism comprises:
• a cam lever pivotally coupled to the base, the cam lever having a cam surface;
• a slider movably mounted within the base, the slider being configured to interface with the cam surface of the cam lever;
• and
• the locking arm is coupled to the slider so as to move with the slider as a single unit, where pivoting movement of the cam lever causes reciprocating movement of the locking arm to effect locking the infant support to the base and unlocking of the infant support from the base.

An infant care apparatus having an infant support, the infant care apparatus comprising:

• a base;
• the infant support having a frame with a seat configured for supporting an infant, the frame being configured to form a rocker with rocker rails;
• and
• an infant support coupling arranged to releasable couple the infant support and the base so as to mount and dismount the infant support to the base, wherein the infant support coupling depends from the rocker rails and has an integral recline adjustment mechanism of the rocker;
• wherein the base has an actuable grip that engages the infant support coupling, the grip being configured to actuate between a closed position and an open position to capture and release the infant support to the base, wherein the grip actuation is separate and distinct from recline adjustment of the rocker.

A method for an infant care apparatus having a base and an infant support having a frame with a seat configured for supporting an infant, the frame being configured to form a rocker with rocker rails, the method comprising:

• releasably coupling the infant support to the base with an infant support coupling so as to mount and dismount the infant support to the base, wherein the infant support coupling depends from the rocker rails and has an integral recline adjustment mechanism of the rocker;
• and
• adjusting, with the recline adjustment mechanism, at least one of rocker rail incline and seat incline with respect to the base separate from releasably coupling the infant support to the base;
• wherein the base has an actuable grip that engages the infant support coupling, the actuable grip being configured to actuate between a closed position and an open position to capture and release the infant support to the base, wherein the grip actuation is separate and distinct from recline adjustment of the rocker.

An infant care apparatus comprising:

• a base with legs;
• a drive mechanism coupled to the base so that the drive mechanism is elevated, the drive mechanism having a first motion assembly and a second motion assembly,
• a movable stage movably mounted to the base and operatively coupled to the first motion assembly so that the first motion assembly imparts a first cyclic motion in a first direction to the movable stage, and the second motion assembly is dependent from the movable stage so that the second motion assembly imparts a second cyclic motion in a second direction independent of the first cyclic motion in the first direction imparted by the first motion assembly;
• an infant support disposed to effect stand-alone infant care support of an infant on the infant care apparatus and coupled to the second motion assembly so that the second cyclic motion and the first cyclic motion are imparted to the infant support, and the infant support is configured to move cyclically in both the first direction and the second direction relative to the base;
• and
• a controller communicably coupled to the drive mechanism, and configured so as to move the infant support, with separate impetus separately imparted on the infant support by the first cyclic motion and the second cyclic motion, in both the first direction and the second direction with a selectably variable motion path selected, with the controller, from a number of different selectably variable motion paths,
• wherein the controller is configured to effect selection of the selectably variable motion path by separate variance of motion characteristic of the separate respective first cyclic motion and second cyclic motion determined from a common selection input to the controller such that the controller effects the selection corresponding to only one of the selectably variable motion paths so that selection of each selectably variable motion path by separate variance of motion characteristic of the separate respective first cyclic motion and second cyclic motion is effected with a corresponding common selection input.

A method for controlling an infant care apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing a base of the infant care apparatus, the base having legs;
• providing a drive mechanism coupled to the base so that the drive mechanism is elevated, the drive mechanism having a first motion assembly and a second motion assembly, wherein the first motion assembly has a first motor dependent from the base and the second motion assembly has a second motor separate and distinct from the first motor;
• providing a movable stage movably mounted to the base and operatively coupled to the first motion assembly for imparting, via the first motor of the first motion assembly, a first cyclic motion in a first direction to the movable stage;
• providing an infant support disposed to effect stand-alone infant care support of an infant on the infant care apparatus and coupled to the second motion assembly for imparting, via the second motor of the second motion assembly dependent from the movable stage, a second cyclic motion in a second direction independent of the first cyclic motion in the first direction imparted by the first motion assembly, wherein the second cyclic motion and the first cyclic motion are imparted to the infant support moving the infant support cyclically in both the first direction and the second direction relative to the base;
• moving, with a controller communicably coupled to the drive mechanism, the infant support, with separate impetus separately imparted on the infant support by the first cyclic motion and the second cyclic motion respectively driven by the first and the second motors, in both the first direction and the second direction with a selectably variable motion path selected, with the controller, from a number of different selectably variable motion paths;
• and
• effecting, with the controller, selection of the selectably variable motion path by separate variance of motion characteristic of the separate respective first cyclic motion and second cyclic motion determined from a common selection input to the controller such that the controller effects the selection corresponding to only one of the selectably variable motion paths so that selection of each selectably variable motion path by separate variance of motion characteristic of the separate respective first cyclic motion and second cyclic motion is effected with a corresponding common selection input.