The present invention relates to child car seats, and more specifically to child car seats with an integrated control console.
Child car seats must be properly installed in a motor vehicle in order to function as intended. Proper installation takes into consideration such factors as secure attachment of a base component to the vehicle and of a child seat component to the base component. In addition, the proper alignment of the child seat assembly is required once it is securely installed. The installation and set-up process can be time-consuming, cumbersome and uncertain as subjective judgment is used during the installation process by the person installing the car seat.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a child car seat includes a seat base configured to hold a child seat carrier and a control console removably coupled to the seat base. The control console includes a user interface having at least one input and at least one output, circuitry configured to interface with other components of the child car seat, and a power source configured to provide power to the user interface.
In some embodiments, the at least one input may include one or more knobs, buttons, switches, touch sensors, and/or touch screens and the at least one output may include one or more audio devices and/or visual devices, such as one or more speakers, lights, light-emitting diodes, tactile sensors and visual displays, e.g., LCD screens. The power source may include a battery.
In some embodiments, the child car seat may further include a level indicator system in communication with the control console and a ratchet system in communication with the control console. The level indicator system may include a housing coupled to the seat base, a pendulum, having a top portion with an opening, movably coupled to the housing and configured to permit rotation about an axis, and one or more pair of sensors coupled to the housing on opposing sides of the opening. The sensors and opening may be configured such that a first sensor on one side of the opening is in communication with a second sensor on the other side of the opening when the opening is substantially aligned with the first and second sensors. The ratchet system may include a ratchet housing coupled to the seat base, a handle movably coupled to the ratchet housing, and a spindle movably coupled to the handle and to the ratchet housing. The spindle may have a longitudinal slot configured to hold a belt. The ratchet system is configured to move the spindle with the handle in a first direction and to move the handle in a second direction without moving the spindle. The level indicator system may be configured to send a signal to the control console when the first sensor is in communication with the second sensor. The sensors may include photosensors. When two or more pairs of sensors are used, each corresponding pair may be coupled to the housing on opposing sides of the opening and at least one of the pairs may be adjacent to at least one of the other pairs on each side of the opening. The child car seat may further include a level adjustment system movably coupled to the seat base. The level adjustment system may include a grooved member coupled to the seat base and having one or more slots and a channel adjacent to the slots, a leveling member movably coupled to the grooved member and to the seat base at a portion of the seat base, a bar coupled to the leveling member and configured to engage with the slots and move along the channel, and an actuator configured to move the bar out of the slots and to engage the bar with the slots. The actuator may be one or more buttons disposed on the seat base.
In some embodiments, the ratchet system may further include a belt tension indicator system coupled to the ratchet housing. The belt tension indicator system may include a bottom member coupled to the ratchet housing, a top member movably coupled to the bottom member and configured to contact a belt, and one or more resistance members positioned between a portion of the top member and a portion of the bottom member. The one or more resistance members may be configured to allow the top member to move relative to the bottom member when sufficient force is applied to the top member. The belt tension indicator system may further include a switch positioned adjacent to the top member. The belt tension indicator system may be configured such that a contact on the top member contacts the switch when appropriate force is applied to the top member. The one or more resistance members may include springs. The top member may include an opening configured to receive the belt. The child car seat may further including the belt. The ratchet system may further include a release mechanism that allows the spindle to move in the first direction and the second direction. The release mechanism may be actuated by a button on the handle. The ratchet system may further include a ratchet wheel having one or more notches and movably coupled to the handle and coupled to the spindle, and a pall configured to engage with the one or more notches. The ratchet wheel and the pall may be configured such that the handle moves the ratchet wheel when the handle moves in the first direction and the pall engages the one or more notches and prevents the ratchet wheel from moving when the handle moves in the second direction.
The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Various embodiments of the present invention provide a child car seat having a car seat base and a child seat carrier that is configured to be removably attached to the car seat base. The car seat base includes an integrated ratchet system that allows the base to be secured to a seat in a vehicle with relative ease. The integrated ratchet system may include a belt tension indicator system that indicates when an appropriate amount of tension is applied to the belt. The car seat base may also include a level indicator system that indicates the angle of inclination of the car seat base relative to ground, permitting the proper orientation of the base in the vehicle seat. The car seat base may also have a control system that indicates when the seat base has attained an appropriate orientation and that indicates when the integrated ratchet system has sufficiently secured the base to the vehicle seat. This configuration readily permits the proper installation of the child car seat within the vehicle. Details of illustrative embodiments are discussed below.
For the proper installation of the car seat 10 in the vehicle, the car seat base 12 should be positioned at an appropriate angle in relation to the vehicle seat (not shown).
As the car seat base 12 is tilted out of the proper orientation one way or the other, the bottom portion 24a of the pendulum 24 moves, causing the opening 26 in the top portion 24a to move out of alignment from the sensors 28 and other areas of the top portion 24a to block the path from the one sensor to the other. If more than one pair of sensors 28 is used, then several levels of alignment or misalignment of the base 12, as well as which direction the base 12 needs to be moved in, may be indicated. For example, if three pairs of sensors are used and are positioned adjacent to one another, then the level indicator system 20 may indicate when all three pairs of sensors are aligned with the opening, when only one or two pairs are aligned, or when none are aligned. If only one or two pairs of sensors are aligned, then the level indicator system 20 may indicate which of the pairs are aligned (e.g., the pair(s) toward the front or back of the level indicator system) and may indicate in which direction the car seat base 12 needs to move in order to be properly oriented.
The alignment of the base 12 may be indicated to an installer or other user through an integrated control console 30, such as shown in
To properly position the seat base 12 within the vehicle, a level adjustment system may be used. As shown in
As shown in
During operation, the belt is positioned in the slot 58 in the spindle 54 and positioned through an opening 60 in, or over the top of, the belt tension indicator system 56. The belt is also positioned through openings in the housing 51.
Once the belt is positioned within the integrated ratchet system 50, the handle 52 may be moved from one side of the housing 51 to the other. As the handle 52 moves in one direction, the spindle 54 rotates, causing the belt to wind around the spindle 54. However, as the handle 52 moves back in the other direction, the spindle 54 is prevented from rotating so that the belt does not unwind from the spindle 54. As shown in greater detail in
The amount of tension in the belt may be determined by the belt tension indicator system 56. As shown in greater detail in
During operation, a belt is positioned through the opening 60, or over the surface 61, in the top member 56a. For example, when a separate, standalone belt is used, the belt may be positioned through the opening 60 and when one of the seat belts in the vehicle is used, the belt may be positioned over the surface 61. As the belt becomes more tightly wound around the spindle 54, the belt applies progressively more force to the top member 56a of the belt tension indicator system 56, moving the top member 56a closer to the bottom member 56b. The belt tension indicator system 56 is configured such that a contact 74 on the bottom of the top member 56a contacts the switch 70 when an appropriate force is applied to the top member 56a by the belt, thus indicating when sufficient tension is applied to the belt. When the switch 70 contacts the contact 74, an indication may be provided to the installer. For example, the belt tension indicator system 56 may send a signal to the control console 30 indicating that the proper amount of belt tension has been achieved, and the control console 30 may display an appropriate indicator to the person that the seat base 12 is sufficiently secure.
If the switch 70 is configured to measure the amount of force applied to the switch or to determine the position of the switch as it is depressed, then the amount of tension in the belt may be determined. This may provide the installer with information regarding the progress of the belt tightening process. For example, the control console 30 may indicate whether the seat base 12 is appropriately secured based on the amount of tension in the belt (e.g., not secure, fairly secure, secure, too tight) and may indicate whether to tighten or loosen the belt in order for it to be properly secured within the vehicle. As mentioned above with regard to the level indicator system 20, the installer may similarly interface with the control console 30 to check the belt tension, and the control console 30 may provide the appropriate information as to whether the belt tension is correct or not. In addition, the control console 30 may also be used to lead the person, step by step, through a procedure for tightening the belt and indicating when the integrated ratchet system 50 has sufficiently secured the seat base 12 to the vehicle seat.
To loosen the belt in the integrated ratchet system 50, a release mechanism 76 may be used to allow the spindle 54 to rotate in either direction. For example, the release mechanism 76 may be actuated by depressing a button 76 on the handle 52 while moving the handle 52 from one side to the other. This may cause the pall 64 to disengage from the ratchet wheel 68, allowing the spindle 54 to freely rotate. When the button is released and the handle returned to its starting position, the pall 64 is configured to reengage with the ratchet wheel 68.
Embodiments of the integrated ratchet system 50, control console 30 and/or level indicator system 20 permit the proper installation of the child car seat 10 within the vehicle to be performed without undue difficulty. In addition, embodiments allow much of the subjective judgment currently used in the car seat installation process to be removed.
Although the above discussion discloses various exemplary embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent that those skilled in the art can make various modifications that will achieve some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the true scope of the invention.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patent application No. 61/252,553 filed Oct. 16, 2009, and U.S. Provisional patent application No. 61/391,132 filed Oct. 8, 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61252553 | Oct 2009 | US | |
61391132 | Oct 2010 | US |