Claims
- 1. A retractor for use with a child seat having a harness, an interengaged combination of a tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:
- a frame;
- a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
- a spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
- a locking bar parallel to said axle and mounted to said frame to be movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is located apart from said ratchet wheel and a normal locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
- cable means mounted to said locking bar and movable from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said locking position to a second position whereat said cable means moves said locking bar to said removed position; and,
- operator control means mounted to said child seat and connected to an end of said cable means opposite said locking bar and including a member that is manually operable independent of operation of said interengaged combination of said tongue and seat belt buckle for holding said cable means in said second position when manually moved and for moving the cable means to said first position when said member is manually released, said spool free to rotate to extend or retract said harness at all times whenever said locking bar is moved to said removed position by said cable means.
- 2. A retractor for use with a child seat having a harness, an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:
- a frame;
- a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of the harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
- a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
- a locking bar parallel to said axle and mounted to said frame to be movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is unlocked from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool; and
- operator means including manual push button means mounted to said locking bar and movable independent of operation of said interengaged combination of said tongue and seat belt buckle from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said locking position, to a second position where said operator means moves said locking bar to said removed position and holds said locking bar in said removed position until said push button means is manually released, said operator means including additional means extending between said locking bar and said manual push button means to transfer motion of said manual push button means to said locking bar, said spool enabling said harness to rotate to extend or retract at all times whenever said locking bar is moved to said removed position by said operator means.
- 3. A retractor for use with a child seat having a harness, an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:
- a frame;
- a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of the harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
- a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
- a locking bar parallel to said axle and mounted to said frame to be movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is unlocked from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool; and
- operator means including manual push button means mounted to said locking bar and movable independent of operation of said interengaged combination of said tongue and seat belt buckle from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said locking position, to a second position where said operator means moves said locking bar to said removed position and holds said locking bar in said removed position until said push button means is manually released; and wherein;
- said operator means includes a cable extending between and connected to said push button means and said locking bar, said cable moves said locking bar to said removed position when said push button means moves to said second position.
- 4. The retractor of claim 3 wherein:
- said cable means includes a second spring operable to urge said locking bar to said locking position when said push button means is in said first position but yieldable to allow said locking bar to move to said removed position when said push button means moves to said second position.
- 5. The retractor of claim 4 wherein:
- said cable means includes a wire with a first end connected to said locking bar and a second end adjacent said second spring, said second spring operable to urge said second end toward said push button means but yieldable when said push button means is depressed to engage said second end and second spring moving said wire with said locking bar to said removed position.
- 6. A child seat harness for installation in an automobile comprising:
- a child seat configured to receive a child;
- a harness mounted to said child seat and extendable over the child to secure the child within said child seat;
- an interlocking tongue and seat belt buckle mounted to said child seat and interlockable with said harness; and,
- automatic retractor means including a frame, a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame, a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat said harness is wrapped thereon, a locking bar mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is unlocked from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool; and
- operator means including manual means mounted to said child seat and connected to said locking bar and movable independent of operation of said interlocking tongue and seat belt buckle from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said locking position, to a second position whereat said operator means moves said locking bar to and holds said locking bar in said removed position until manually released, said operator means including a cable extending between said locking bar and said manual means to transfer motion of said manual means to said locking bar, said spool free to rotate to extend or retract said harness at all times whenever said locking bar is moved to said removed position by said cable.
- 7. The retractor of claim 6 wherein:
- said operator means includes a second spring operable to urge said locking bar to said locking position when said manual means is in said first position but yieldable to allow said locking bar to move to said removed position when said manual means moves to said second position.
- 8. The retractor of claim 7 wherein:
- said cable includes a wire with a first end connected to said locking bar and a second end adjacent said second spring, said second spring operable to urge said second end toward said manual means but yieldable when said manual means is depressed to engage said second end and second spring moving said wire with said locking bar to said removed position.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/897,872, filed Jun. 12, 1992 and entitled BELT RETRACTOR WITH PUSH BUTTON CONTROLLED LOCKING BAR now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (20)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2426845 |
Jan 1976 |
DEX |
1311978 |
Mar 1973 |
GBX |
2175194A |
Nov 1986 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
897872 |
Jun 1992 |
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