Patent Grant
9187016
The present invention generally relates to the field of child safety seats, and more particularly, to a child safety seat including a tensioning mechanism for applying tension to a seat belt to more fully secure the child safety seat to a car seat, thereby providing for easier installation of the child safety seat to the car seat.
Child safety seating products are designed to protect children in vehicles from the effects of impacts or other sudden changes in motion (e.g., sudden deceleration). Child safety seats, commonly referred to simply as child seats, may be used in a variety of vehicles with a variety of seating configurations. It is important for a child safety seat to be properly secured to the car seat to protect the occupant, particularly during an impact.
Some child safety seats are secured to a car seat with the seat belt of the car. In such situations, securing the child seat may be awkward and difficult. Moreover, maintaining a proper amount of tension in the seat belt can also be difficult. Indeed, an improper amount of tension is undesirable and may negatively affect the safety of the occupant secured within the child seat.
Example embodiments of the present invention seek to provide for easy installation of a child seat to a car seat. Additionally, some example embodiments seek to provide a mechanism for a child seat that applies tension to the seat belt to secure the child seat to the car seat in a fully secured or tensioned configuration. A child seat that is fully secured in a tensioned configuration provides increased safety for an occupant of the child seat.
In one example embodiment, a child seat configured to be secured to a car seat is provided. The child seat comprises a seat base defining a seat portion and a backrest portion. The seat base is configured to receive an untensioned belt of the car seat to secure the child seat to the car seat in an untensioned configuration. The belt defines a lap section and a shoulder section. The child seat further comprises a tensioning mechanism attached to the backrest portion of the seat base. The tensioning mechanism is rotatable between a first position substantially adjacent to the backrest portion of the seat base and a second position disposed therefrom. In the second position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to receive a portion of the lap section of the belt and a portion of the shoulder section of the belt. In the first position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to apply tension to the portion of the lap section and the portion of the shoulder section of the belt to secure the child seat to the car seat in a tensioned configuration.
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism is configured to rotate, in response to receiving a substantially vertical force, from the second position to the first position to apply tension to the portion of the lap section and the portion of the shoulder section of the belt to secure the child seat to the car set in a tensioned configuration.
In some embodiments, the seat base further defines a first arm rest and a second arm rest. A top surface of each arm rest extends in a first horizontal plane. In the second position, a bottom surface of the tensioning mechanism extends in a second horizontal plane. The second horizontal plane is above the first horizontal plane such that the top surface of each arm rest and the bottom surface of the tensioning mechanism define a belt guide channel configured to allow a user to position the portion of the lap section and the portion of the shoulder section of the belt therebetween. Additionally, in some embodiments, each arm rest defines a curved surface that is configured to guide the portion of the lap section and the portion of the shoulder section of the belt into engagement with the tensioning mechanism when the tensioning mechanism is disposed in the second position.
In some embodiments, the seat base further defines a first arm rest and a second arm rest. Each arm rest defines an angled surface proximate the backrest portion, wherein the angled surface is configured to adjacently engage and align the portion of the lap section and the portion of the shoulder section of the belt when the child seat is in the tensioned configuration.
In some embodiments, the child seat further comprises a harness defining a first belt and a second belt. The first belt and the second belt each extend from the backrest portion at a first end to a second end that is fixedly attached to the tensioning mechanism. The second ends of the first belt and the second belt of the harness are each configured to rotate with the tensioning mechanism between the first position and the second position.
In some embodiments, the seat base further defines opposing side portions. Each side portion comprises a lock receiving portion. The tensioning mechanism further comprises a locking mechanism comprising two laterally-opposing locking members configured to translate between an extended position and a retracted position. Each lock receiving portion is configured to receive a respective locking member when the tensioning mechanism is in the first position and the locking members are in the extended position, thereby locking the tensioning mechanism in the first position. The locking members are configured to automatically translate to the extended position when the tensioning mechanism is rotated from the second position to the first position.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the locking members are biased toward the extended position. The locking mechanism comprises a retaining member and a trigger member. The retaining member is configured to retain the locking members in the retracted position. The trigger member is configured to interact with the backrest portion of the seat base when the tensioning mechanism is rotated to the first position to move the trigger member from a trigger position to a withdrawn position. The trigger member is configured to cause the retaining member to release the locking members in the withdrawn position.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the locking mechanism comprises a latch configured to enable a user to translate the locking members from the extended position to the retracted position. In some embodiments, the latch defines two pockets that are configured to each receive a finger of a user. The two pockets are configured to translate toward each other to cause the locking members to move from the extended position to the retracted position.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the seat base defines a ramp proximate each lock receiving portion. The ramp is configured to engage and at least partially retract the locking members from the extend position to enable the tensioning mechanism to rotate from the second position to the first position.
In some embodiments, the child seat further comprises a padding attached to the backrest portion of the seat base. The padding is configured to at least partially cover the tensioning mechanism in the first position. The padding is configured to fold as the tensioning mechanism rotates from the first position to the second position.
In another example embodiment, a child seat configured to be secured to a car seat is provided. The child seat comprises a seat base defining a seat portion and a backrest portion. The seat base is configured to receive an untensioned belt of the car seat to secure the child seat to the car seat in an untensioned configuration. The seat base further defines opposing side portions. Each side portion comprises a lock receiving portion. The child seat further comprises a tensioning mechanism attached to the backrest portion of the seat base. The tensioning mechanism is rotatable between a first position substantially adjacent to the backrest portion of the seat base and a second position disposed therefrom. In the second position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to receive a portion of the belt. In the first position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to apply tension to the portion of the belt to secure the child seat to the car seat in a tensioned configuration. The tensioning mechanism further comprises a locking mechanism comprising two laterally-opposing locking members configured to translate between an extended position and a retracted position. Each lock receiving portion is configured to receive a respective locking member when the tensioning mechanism is in the first position and the locking members are in the extended position, thereby locking the tensioning mechanism in the first position. The locking members are configured to automatically translate to the extended position when the tensioning mechanism is rotated from the second position to the first position.
In yet another example embodiment, a method for manufacturing a child seat configured to be secured to a car seat is provided. The method comprises providing a seat base defining a seat portion and a backrest portion. The seat base is configured to receive an untensioned belt of the car seat to secure the child seat to the car seat in an untensioned configuration. The belt defines a lap section and a shoulder section. The method further comprises attaching a tensioning mechanism to the seat base. The tensioning mechanism is rotatable between a first position substantially adjacent to the backrest portion of the seat base and a second position disposed therefrom. In the second position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to receive a portion of the lap section of the belt and a portion of the shoulder section of the belt. In the first position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to apply tension to the portion of the lap section of the belt and the portion of the shoulder section of the belt to secure the child seat to the car seat in a tensioned configuration.
In another example embodiment, a method for manufacturing a child seat configured to be secured to a car seat is provided. The method comprises providing a seat base defining a seat portion and a backrest portion. The seat base is configured to receive an untensioned belt of a car seat to secure the child seat to the car seat in an untensioned configuration. The seat base further defines opposing side portions. Each side portion comprises a lock receiving portion. The method further comprises attaching a tensioning mechanism to the seat base. The tensioning mechanism is rotatable between a first position substantially adjacent to the backrest portion of the seat base and a second position disposed therefrom. In the second position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to receive a portion of the belt. In the first position, the tensioning mechanism is configured to apply tension to the portion of the belt to secure the child seat to the car seat in a tensioned configuration. The tensioning mechanism further comprises a locking mechanism comprising two laterally-opposing locking members configured to translate between an extended position and a retracted position. Each lock receiving portion is configured to receive a respective locking member when the tensioning mechanism is in the first position and the locking members are in the extended position, thereby locking the tensioning mechanism in the first position. The locking members are configured to automatically translate to the extended position when the tensioning mechanism is rotated from the second position to the first position.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.
A child safety seat may be configured for installation in a forward-facing position to accommodate children in the appropriate position based on the height and weight of a child, such as according to the guidelines and standards of the United States National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and similar authorities in other countries.
In order to protect an occupant, a child safety seat must be secured to a fixed location in a vehicle. The type of securement depends on the type of vehicle and may also depend on the standards for the particular region the vehicle is being operated in. For example, a child safety seat may be secured to a vehicle using a variety of methods, including using the seat belt of the car seat or LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachments in the U.S.
Proper installation and use of a child safety seat within a vehicle is necessary to achieve the maximum protection afforded by the seat. As noted above, some child safety seats are designed to secure to a vehicle seat using the seat belt of the vehicle seat. Often a seat belt can be positioned around the child seat and then fastened (e.g., latched) into a buckle attached to the vehicle to achieve secure attachment of the child seat to the vehicle. However, even when the seat belt is tightly fastened, slack in the seat belt may occur. Indeed, the seat belt may not be fully tensioned and the child seat may be loosely secured to the vehicle, which may be unsafe for an occupant. In some cases, multiple attempts to fully secure a child seat to a vehicle seat using a seat belt may be required. As such, installation of a child seat using a vehicle seat belt can be difficult and time consuming.
Accordingly, some example embodiments of the present invention provide a tensioning mechanism for easy and intuitive securing of a child seat using a vehicle seat belt. The tensioning mechanism enables a user to easily apply tension to (e.g., remove slack from) a latched seat belt during installation of the child seat to the vehicle seat. This causes the child seat to become more fully secured to the vehicle seat (e.g., the child seat enters a tensioned configuration).
In some embodiments, the child seat 10 may comprise arm rests for the occupant. In the depicted embodiment, the seat base 12 defines a first arm rest 22 and a second arm rest 23. With reference to
In some embodiments, each arm rest 22, 23 may define a curved surface 108. Additionally, in some embodiments, each arm rest 22, 23 may define an angled surface 110 that extends from the backrest portion 16 of the seat base 12 downwardly at an angle (e.g., at approximately a 45° angle down from the backrest portion 16 of the seat base 12). Such features provide an aesthetic and ornamental design to the arm rest.
In some embodiments, the child seat may comprise padding, cushions, or other features to provide comfort and/or additional safety for an occupant. With reference to
In some embodiments, the child seat 10 may comprise a tensioning mechanism 30 that, as described in greater detail herein, is configured to enable a user to more easily secure the child seat to a car seat in a tensioned configuration. In such a manner, the child seat may be more fully secures to the car seat and provide optimal protection to an occupant, such as during a vehicle impact. The tensioning mechanism 30 may be pivotably attached to the backrest portion 16 of the seat base 12. In such a manner the tensioning mechanism 30 may be rotatable between a first position (shown in
With reference to
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism 30 may be configured to enable a user to rotate the tensioning mechanism 30 out of the first position from within the backrest portion 16 of the seat base 12. In the depicted embodiment, the tensioning mechanism 30 comprises a latch 80 that is configured to enable a user to rotate the tensioning mechanism 30 from the first position toward the second position. The latch 80 may define two pockets 82, 84 that are each configured to receive a finger of a user. The two pockets 82, 84 may be further configured to translate toward each other to enable a user to interact with the tensioning mechanism 30, such as to rotate the tensioning mechanism 30 from the first position to the second position.
In some embodiments, as will be described in greater detail herein, the latch 80 may be configured to enable a user to retract or otherwise unlock the locking members 61, 63 of a locking mechanism 60 (shown in
As noted with respect to
As noted above, in some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism 30 may be configured to rotate from a first position to a second position. In some embodiments, with reference to
In embodiments of the child seat with a harness 50, the harness 50 may define a first belt portion 52 and a second belt portion 54 that each extend from the backrest portion 16 of the seat base 12 at a first end 97 (shown in
As noted herein, some embodiments of the present invention provide a tensioning mechanism for applying tension to a seat belt of a vehicle to more fully secure the child seat with the vehicle. In the depicted embodiment of
Along these lines, in some embodiments, the child seat 10, and its components (e.g., tensioning mechanism 30, arm rests 22, 23, etc.) may define a belt path for easy positioning and engagement of the vehicle seat belt with the tensioning mechanism. In some embodiments, the belt path may comprise a belt guide channel that is configured to allow a user to easily position the vehicle seat belt for proper engagement with the tensioning mechanism. For example, in some embodiments, with reference to
Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, other features may be used to define a belt path that allows for easy positioning and engagement of the vehicle seat belt with the tensioning mechanism. For example, in some embodiments, with reference to
While the depicted curved surface 108 provides a functional feature for guiding the portion of the vehicle seat belt into engagement with the tensioning mechanism, other curves, slopes, or adjustments may be made and are contemplated for embodiments of the present invention.
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism 30 may be configured to be locked in the first position (shown in
In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 60 may comprise two laterally-opposing locking members (e.g., bolts 61, 63) configured to translate between an extended position (
As shown in the depicted embodiment of
The first portion 72 may define a first portion hole 62 and a slot 83. Additionally, the first portion 72, in some embodiments, may be attached to a first locking member 61.
The second portion 74 may define a second portion hole 64 and a tab 92. The tab 92 may define a trigger member 95 and a retaining member 93. The tab 92 may be free at one end (e.g., a cantilever) such that it can bend in response to a force, such as may be applied to the trigger member 95 (e.g., a button). In such a manner, the tab 92, trigger member 95, and retaining member 93 may be configured to move between a trigger position (
The first portion 72 and second portion 74 may be configured to translate toward each other and away from each other along a longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, a portion of the first portion 72 may be configured to overlap a portion of the second portion 74 when in the retracted position. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, the locking members 61, 63 may be biased toward the extended position. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, the retaining member 93 may be configured to retain the locking members 61, 63 in the retracted position, such as against the bias of spring 76. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, the locking members 61, 63 of the locking mechanism 60 may be configured to automatically translate to the extended position when the tensioning mechanism 30 is rotated from the second position to the first position. Additionally, in some embodiments, the trigger member 95 may be configured to interact with the backrest portion 16 of the seat base 12 when the tensioning mechanism 30 is rotated to the first position to move the trigger member 95 from the trigger position (
For example, with reference to
As noted above, with reference to
Additionally, in some embodiments, translation of the first portion 72 and second portion 74 toward each other may cause the tab 92 and the retaining member 93 to translate to a position below the slot 83. In this way, the bias of the tab 92 may cause the tab 92 to return to the trigger position (
In some circumstances, even despite the bias of the tab 92 and retaining member 93 to retain the locking members 61, 63 in the retracted position, the locking members 61, 63 may be released (accidentally or otherwise) while the tensioning mechanism 30 is out of the first position. In such a situation, with the locking members 61, 63 in the extended position, it may be difficult to rotate the tensioning mechanism 30 into the first position due to the interference of the extended locking members 61, 63 with the respective lock receiving portions 55, 57 of the seat base 12. As such, in some embodiments, with reference to
As noted above, some example embodiments of the present invention provide a tensioning mechanism for a child seat that is configured to enable easy and full securing of the child seat to a car seat with a vehicle seat belt (e.g., the child seat is easily secured in a tensioned configuration by the user).
As used herein, in some embodiments, the vehicle seat belt may be also referred to as a belt or seat belt. Additionally, in some embodiments, reference to a vehicle seat belt, seat belt, or belt may include both a lap section and a shoulder section of the belt of the car seat. Moreover, while the depicted embodiments detail the use of both a lap section and a shoulder section of the belt of a car seat, other embodiments may only use a lap section or a shoulder section for securement of the child seat. Along these same lines, while the depicted embodiment is described with respect to a car seat, other vehicles or surfaces using belts for securement are contemplated. Indeed, the present invention is not meant to be limited to cars.
In such a regard, in some embodiments, the seat base of the child seat may be configured to receive an untensioned belt of a car seat to secure the child seat in an untensioned configuration. For example, with reference to
As noted above, in some embodiments, the belt 25 may define a lap section 27 and a shoulder section 29. The lap section 27 may define a portion of the belt 25 that extends from a lower anchor on a vehicle (not shown) to a buckle 221 (shown in
In some embodiments, in the second position, the tensioning mechanism 30 may be configured to receive a portion of the belt 25. Additionally, in the depicted embodiment of
A further example of the child seat 10 not being fully secured to the car seat 28 is illustrated in
In some embodiments, once the belt 25 is engaged with the tensioning mechanism 30, the tensioning mechanism 30 may be rotated into the first position to apply tension to a portion of the belt 25 to secure the child seat to the car seat in a tensioned configuration. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism 30 may be configured to rotate, in response to receiving a substantially vertical force, from the second position to the first position to apply tension to the portion of the belt 25. In such an embodiment, a user may simply push substantially straight down to effectuate fully secure installation of the child seat to a car seat (e.g., the user may push down to install the child seat in a tensioned configuration). For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, with reference to
In some embodiments, the tension applied to the portion of the belt 25 may be the result of displacement of the portion of the belt 25 that is engaged with the tensioning mechanism 30. Such displacement may cause an increased tension in the belt 25, which may cause the child seat 10 to more fully secure to the car seat 28 (e.g., the tensioned configuration shown in
In some embodiments, with reference to
In some embodiments, the angled surface 110 may be configured to adjacently engage and align the portion of the belt 25 when the child seat 10 is in the tensioned configuration. For example, in the depicted embodiment of
While the depicted angled surface 110 provides a functional feature of alignment of the belt of the car seat, other angles or adjustments may be made and are contemplated for embodiments of the present invention.
Some example embodiments of the present invention contemplate a method of manufacturing a child seat comprising any components or any embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a child seat configured to be secured to a car seat may comprise providing a seat base as described herein and attaching a tensioning mechanism as described herein to the seat base. The seat base and tensioning mechanism may be configured at least as described herein with respect to any embodiments or combination of embodiments.
Along these same lines, some example embodiments of the present invention contemplate any combination of embodiments or components described herein.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/602,846, entitled “Child Seat With Tensioning Mechanism For Improved Installation,” filed Sep. 4, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,845,022, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13602846 | Sep 2012 | US |
| Child | 14273804 | US |
