Car seat vehicle connection system, apparatus, and method

Abstract

A car seat connection system for connecting the car seat to a vehicle is provided. The system includes at least one strap, each having a first connector at a respective first end of said strap and a second connector at a respective second end of said strap. The first connector is configured to removably connect to the car seat and the second connector is configured to removably connect to a car seat anchor of the vehicle. The seat connector and the first connector may be seatbelt connectors of opposite gender. The second connector may be a LATCH or ISOFIX connector. A method is provided for removably connecting the car seat to the vehicle. The method includes connecting the first connector to the seat connector of the car seat and connecting the second connector to the car seat anchor of the vehicle.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates to connection arrangements between a removable car seat and a vehicle, such as a car. For purposes herein, the term “car seat” is to be understood broadly to include child safety seats.

2. State of the Art

Every year, thousands of young children are killed or injured in crashes, mainly because 3 out of every 4 children in child safety seats are not properly secured, or even worse, not restrained at all. To address the problem of improper car seat installation, various industry-wide standards have been adopted. However, such standards introduce their own difficulties for installing car seats in vehicles, as described below.

ISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars. The system has other regional names including LATCH (“Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children”) in the United States and LUAS (“Lower Universal Anchorage System”) or Canfix in Canada. It has also been called the “Universal Child Safety Seat System” or UCSSS.

ISOFIX is described in International Organisation for Standardisation standard ISO 13216, which specifies the anchoring system for Group 1 child safety seats. It defines standard attachment points to be manufactured into cars, enabling compliant child safety seats to be safely secured. ISOFIX is an alternative to securing the seat with seat belts. Seats are secured with a single attachment at the top (top tether) and two attachments at the base of each side of the seat. The full set of anchor points for this system were required in new cars in the United States starting in September 2002.

In the European Union (EU) the car seat connection system is known as ISOFIX and covers both Group 0/0+ and Group 1 child safety seats. The mechanism for attaching the seat to the lower anchors is quite different from that in the United States. In the EU two “alligator-like” clips connect the seat to the lower anchors rather than the open clip style connectors commonly used in the United States. However, some car seat manufactures are beginning to offer true ISOFIX type attachments in the U.S. In the EU standard, there are also various installation categories: “universal”, “vehicle-specific” and “semi-universal”. The main differences are that “Universal” represents use of a top tether strap with the ISOFIX anchorage, “vehicle-specific” represents the usage of the ISOFIX anchorage without the top tether in specified vehicles only, while “Semi-Universal” represents usage of the ISOFIX anchorage together with a “foot-prop”.

ISOFIX is designed to secure a maximum combined weight (weight of both seat and child) of 65 lbs (29.54 kgs). The center-to-center distance between the anchors of ISOFIX (and also LATCH) systems is 11 inches (280 mm).

For a typical rear facing car seat that includes a base that is separate from the car seat, when the car seat base is uninstalled from the vehicle, the base and associated connection straps and quick-connect connectors remain connected to the base, not to the vehicle. Therefore, upon reinstallation of the base to the vehicle, a user must locate the car seat anchors, which are often obscured in a difficult-to-access location between the vehicle seat bottom and the backrest. Thus, connecting, removing, and reconnecting the base to the vehicle, even using quick-connect connectors and car seat anchors, can be time consuming and difficult to perform for some users.

SUMMARY

According to a first embodiment, a car seat connection system is described for connecting the car seat to a vehicle. The system includes a seat connector extending from the car seat and a strap. The strap has a first connector at a first end of the strap and a second connector at a second end of the strap. The first connector is configured to easily and quickly removably connect to the seat connector and the second connector is configured to easily and quickly removably connect to the vehicle.

According to a second embodiment, a method is described for removably connecting a car seat to a vehicle. The method includes providing a car seat having a seat connector extending from the car seat. Also, the method includes providing a strap having a first connector at a first end of the strap and a second connector at a second end of the strap. The first connector is configured to removably connect to the seat connector and the second connector is configured to removably connect to the vehicle. Also, the method includes connecting the first connector to the seat connector and connecting the second connector to the vehicle.

According to a third embodiment, a method is described for disconnecting the car seat that is connected in accordance with the second embodiment. The method includes disconnecting the first connector of the strap from the seat connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an assembly view of a car seat connection system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded isometric view of a portion of a strap connected to a seat connector of the car seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the strap shown in FIG. 2, viewed from an opposite direction to that in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view of the system shown in FIG. 1 in a connected configuration.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of the system shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a car seat connection system in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a portion of the car seat connection system shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the portion of the car seat connection system shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an assembly view of a car seat connection system in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 an exploded view of a portion of the seat connection system shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an assembly view of a preferred embodiment of a car seat connection system 100. The system 100 includes a car seat 102 and distal webs or straps 104 which are constructed to removably connect the car seat 102 to a vehicle car seat anchor 158 (hereinafter referred to as “anchor 158”). The car seat 102 is configured with seat connectors 108 of a first type. In one embodiment, the seat connectors 108 are male seatbelt connectors, such as automotive seatbelt connectors, that are connected to the car seat 102 via proximal short webs or straps 110. (For purposes herein, the terms “distal” and “proximal” are used as terms that relate to relative distances from the car seat, with the “distal” strap being further from the car seat than the “proximal” strap.) Although only one male seatbelt connector 108 is shown in FIG. 1, a second seatbelt connector 108 and an associated strap 110 are located on an opposite side of the seat from that shown in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the proximal short straps 110 extend through grommets 112 attached to an outer wall 114 of a base or shell 103 (FIGS. 1, 4, 5) of the car seat 102. For example, FIGS. 2 and 3 show an example of a rectangular grommet 112 through which a loop 116 of the proximal strap 110 extends. The proximal strap 110 is wrapped around a pin 118 or dowel, which has a diameter that is larger than a width “W” of an opening 120 of the grommet 112 in order to retain the loop 116 of the strap 110 on one side of the grommet 112, i.e., on an inner side of the outer wall 114 of the car seat 102. One end 122 of the strap 110 is fastened to a major portion 124 of the strap 110, such as with thread, rivets, or other fastening means. Preferably, the pin or dowel 118 is securely fastened to the loop 116 so that the proximal strap 110 cannot be disconnected from the car seat 102.

In one embodiment shown most clearly in FIG. 3, the grommet 112 has a pair of resilient snap fit tabs 126 that snap onto or otherwise engage with an opening (not shown) formed in the outer wall 114 of the car seat 102 to retain the outer wall 114 of the car seat 102 between the tabs 126 and a bezel 128 of the grommet 112.

The distal straps 104 include a first connector 131 of a first type at a first end and a second connector 132 of a second type at a second, opposite end. The distal straps 104 also include an adjuster 134 that is connected to the first connector 131 and the second connector 132 with respective webs or straps 141, 142. The adjuster 134 may be constructed in accordance with the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,310 (Woodard et al.), the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Specifically, a first web or strap 141 connects the first connector 131 to the adjuster 134 and a second web or strap 142 connects the adjuster 134 to the second connector 132. The second strap 142 is fixedly connected to the adjuster 134, while the first strap 141 is adjustably connected to the adjuster 134. A free end 150 of the first strap 141 is passed through an adjuster mechanism (not shown) of the adjuster 134. The adjustment mechanism has an automatic retention feature such that pulling on the free end 150 of the first strap 141 away from the adjuster 134 tends to shorten the distance between the first connector 131 and the adjuster 134. Also, the adjuster mechanism is constructed to retain the first strap 141 at an adjusted position when the free end 150 of the first strap 141 is released. Moreover, the adjuster mechanism includes a release button 154, which while depressed, permits relative movement between the first strap 141 and the adjuster 134 to allow the distance between the adjuster 134 and the first connector 131 to be increased. For example, while the release button 154 is depressed, the first connector 131 can be pulled away from the adjuster to increase the distance between the first connector 131 and the adjuster 134.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the first connector 131 of the distal strap 104 is a female seatbelt connector, such as an automotive seatbelt connector and the second connector 132 of the strap 104 is a quick-connect car seat connector (hereinafter referred to as a “quick-connect connector”), such as a LATCH or ISOFIX connector. In the shown embodiment, the quick-connect connector 132 is attached to the adjuster 134 via a non-adjustable web or strap 142, while the female seatbelt connector 131 is attached to the adjuster 134 via an adjustable web or strap 141 that has a free end 150 that is routed through the adjustment mechanism of the adjuster 134. The free end 150 of the strap 141 can be provided with a loop 156 for a user to grab, such as with a finger, to pull on the strap 141 toward the male seatbelt connector 108 during installation, as discussed in greater detail hereinbelow. The quick-connect connector 132 is constructed to couple to a car seat anchor 158 (FIG. 5), such as a LATCH or ISOFIX anchor, of the vehicle. The female seatbelt connector 131 is constructed to removably couple to the male seatbelt connector 108 extending from the car seat 102.

In use, to secure the car seat 102 to the vehicle, the quick-connect connector 132 of each distal strap 104 is coupled to a corresponding car seat anchor 158 of the vehicle. The car seat 102 is placed on the vehicle seat 106 as shown in FIG. 4 and the female seatbelt connectors 131 of the distal straps 104 and the respective male seatbelt connectors 108 of the car seat 102 are connected to each other. The free ends 150 of the straps 141 are then pulled in a direction toward the male seatbelt connectors 108 to tighten the distal straps 104 and remove excess slack therein, thereby securing the car seat 102 firmly against the vehicle seat 106. To disconnect the car seat 102 from the vehicle, the male seatbelt connector 108 is disconnected from the female seatbelt connector 131 of the distal strap 104. The car seat 102 may then be lifted from the vehicle seat 106. The distal straps 104 may remain attached by their quick-connect connectors 132 to the car seat anchors 158 of the vehicle. As a result, a user who wishes to regularly remove the car seat 102 from the vehicle does not have to repeatedly locate and reconnect the quick-connect connectors 132 to the car seat anchors 158 of the vehicle, which, as mentioned herein, are often obscured and hard to reach in some vehicles. Thus, the system and methods described herein facilitate quick, easy, and correct installation and removal of a car seat from a vehicle.

An alternative embodiment to the car seat connection system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is shown with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, in which like reference numbers correspond to like elements. A car seat connection system 600 shown in FIG. 6 differs from system 100 that is shown in FIG. 1 in that the car seat connector 608 of system 600 is connected to the wall 114 of the car seat 102 with a flange 610 instead of the flexible strap 110 of system 100. The flange 610 can be fastened to the wall 114 with mechanical fasteners (not shown), such as rivets, screws, bolts, etc. through holes 611 (FIGS. 6 and 7) in the flange 610. It will be appreciated however, that other fastening means may also be used to secure the flange 610 to the wall 114. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the flange 610 is secured to the car seat 102 so that the car seat connector 608 extends at fixed angle with respect to a bottom 109 of the car seat 102. However, in other embodiments, the flange 610 can be fastened, such as with a single rivet (not shown), to the wall 114 so that the flange 610 can pivot with respect to the car seat 102 to adjust the angle between car seat connector 608 and the bottom 109 of the car seat 102.

FIG. 7 shows a portion of the car seat connection system 600 shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the portion of the car seat connection system 600 shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the car seat connector 608 is integrally formed with the flange 610 and does not rotate or flex with respect to the flange 610. However, in other embodiments, the car seat connector 608 may be connected to the flange 610 with a hinged or flexible connection that permits relative rotation between the car seat connector 608 and the flange 610. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the flange 610 may have a bend 610a that disposes the car seat connector 608 so that car seat connector 608 is not coplanar with a main portion 610b of the flange 610. Such positioning of the car seat connector 608 provides clearance between female seatbelt connector 131 and the wall 114.

Another alternative embodiment to the car seat connection system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is shown with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, in which like reference numbers correspond to like elements. A car seat connection system 900 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 has a different connector arrangement in distal straps 104 as compared to distal straps 104 of system 100 shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the distal straps 104 of system 900 include a male seatbelt connector 960 at a second end of the straps 104. Each male seatbelt connector 960 removably connects to one of the female seatbelt connectors 962 of the vehicle. Other than the differences noted above between systems 100 and 900, the construction of the straps 104 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is the same as the straps 104 shown in FIG. 1. Also, it will be appreciated that the straps 104 of system 900 can be used to connect to the car seat connector 608 of the system 600 via seat belt connectors 131, which are in common with systems 900 and 600.

In use, to secure the car seat 102 to the vehicle with the straps 104 of system 900, the male seatbelt connector 960 of each distal strap 104 is connected to a corresponding female seatbelt connector 962 of the vehicle. The car seat 102 is placed on the vehicle seat 106 and the female seatbelt connectors 131 of the distal straps 104 and the respective male seatbelt connectors 108 of the car seat 102 are connected to each other. The free ends 150 of the straps 141 are then pulled in a direction toward the male seatbelt connectors 108 to tighten the distal straps 104 and remove excess slack therein, thereby securing the car seat 102 firmly against the vehicle seat 106. To disconnect the car seat 102 from the vehicle, the male seatbelt connector 108 is disconnected from the female seatbelt connector 131 of the distal strap 104. The car seat 102 may then be lifted from the vehicle seat 106. The distal straps 104 may remain attached by their male seatbelt connectors 960 to the female seatbelt connectors 962 of the vehicle. As a result, a user who wishes to regularly remove the car seat 102 from the vehicle that does not have car seat anchors 158 can connect the car seat 102 to the vehicle using the vehicle's own seatbelt connectors 962 and the user does not have to repeatedly locate and reconnect the male seatbelt connectors 960 to the female seatbelt connectors 962 of the vehicle, which are often obscured and hard to reach in some vehicles, especially when the car seat 102 is placed on the vehicle seat 106 near the female seatbelt connectors 962. Thus, the system and methods described herein facilitate quick, easy, and correct installation and removal of a car seat from a vehicle.

There have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of a connection system and a method of connecting a car seat to a vehicle. While particular embodiments have been described, it is not intended that the claims be limited thereto, as it is intended that the claims be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while particular types of connectors and couplers have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that other connectors and couplers can be used as well. For example, and not by way of limitation, in other embodiments, instead of employing a seatbelt connector on each strap, it will be appreciated that straps may be formed having quick-connect connectors, such as LATCH or ISOFIX connectors, at both ends and anchors, such as LATCH or ISOFIX anchors, integrated into the car seat in place of the male seatbelt connector. Also, while a male seatbelt connector was described as extending from the car seat and a female seatbelt connector was described as included with the strap, it will be recognized that in alternate embodiments, the gender of those seatbelt connectors can be reversed. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.

Claims

1. A car seat for connection to a vehicle seat, comprising: a base for supporting a seat;at least one car seat connector connected to said base; andat least one strap removably connected to each of said at least one car seat connector, wherein each strap comprises:an adjuster;a first elongated webbing extending from the adjuster to a first end;a second elongated webbing extending from the adjuster to a second end;a first connector at the first end of said first webbing, said first connector configured to removably connect to said car seat connector of said car seat, anda second connector at the second end of said second webbing, said second connector configured to removably connect to a seatbelt connector of a vehicle,wherein said at least one car seat connector and said at least one first connector are seatbelt connectors of opposite gender, and said at least one second connector of said strap is a seatbelt connector having a gender that is opposite said gender of said first connector and a gender of said vehicle seatbelt connector, andwherein said adjuster is disposed in spaced relation to and between said first end of said first webbing and said second end of said second webbing, said adjuster constructed to adjust the length of said strap between said first and second connectors.

2. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein: each car seat connector is connected to another strap that is fixed at one end to an outer wall of the base of the car seat.

3. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein: each car seat connector extends from a flange that is secured to an outer wall of the base of the car seat.

4. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein: each said car seat connector is affixed to an outer wall of said base of the car seat.