Child Seat With Removable Restraint System

Abstract

The present invention discloses a child seat comprised of a seat structure and a child restraint system that allows a restraint to be easily removed from the seat structure and cleaned separately and away from the child seat. The restraint system includes a restraint and a restraint release mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a child support device in accordance with the present invention standing on a supporting surface and including a dining tray.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of a back rest portion of the seat of the child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective view of a seating portion of the seat of the child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a cushioned seat pad for use with the child support device in accordance with the present invention, the seat pad including passages corresponding to the back rest portion of the seat.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the seating portion of the seat of the child support device in accordance with of the present invention, the seating portion being connected to the supporting frame of a child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the back rest portion of a child support device in accordance with the present invention, the back rest portion being connected to the seating portion of a child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a support frame for a child support device in accordance with the present invention including foot members with removable wheels connected to the foot members.

FIG. 7A illustrates a front perspective view of a restraint strap system including a crotch restraint strap positioned to be passed through the seating portion of a child support device in accordance with the present invention, the crotch restraint strap being passed through from the child receiving side to the outer side of the seating member.

FIG. 7B illustrates a rear perspective view of the crotch restraint strap received through the seating portion (from the child receiving side to the outer side) of a child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8A illustrates a front perspective view of a restraint strap system including shoulder restraint straps positioned to be passed through the seat back portion of a child support device in accordance with present invention, the shoulder restraint straps being passed through from the child receiving side to the outer side.

FIG. 8B illustrates a rear perspective view of the shoulder restraint straps received through the back rest portion (from the child receiving side to the outer side) of a child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a front view of a portion of the restraint strap system in accordance with the present invention, this portion of the restraint strap system being accessible on the child receiving side of the seat of a child support device in accordance with the present invention, the arrows that indicating how the restraint straps are adjusted (tightened or loosened).

FIG. 10 illustrates a front view of the seat of a child support device in accordance with present invention occupied by a child being restrained in the seat by connecting the shoulder and crotch restraint strap ends together on the child receiving side of the child support device.

FIG. 11 illustrates a rear view of the ends of the restraint straps on the outer side of the seat of a child support device in accordance with the present invention showing the restraint straps secured by a restraint release mechanism and illustrating (via the arrows) an actuation motion of the restraint release mechanism to release the restraint straps.

FIG. 12 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of the restraint release mechanism connected to the outer side of the back rest portion of a child support device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of the outer side of the back rest portion of a child support device in accordance with the present invention showing the connection members used to secure the restraint release mechanism to the back rest portion.

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of a first slider of the restraint release mechanism of a child support device in accordance with the present invention shown attached to the connection members on the outer side of the back rest portion.

FIG. 15 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a second slider of the restraint release mechanism of a child support device in accordance with the present invention and a fastener for securing the second slider to the connection members on the outer side of the back rest portion.

FIG. 16 illustrates a rear perspective view of the first and second sliders of the restraint release mechanism of a child support device in accordance with the present invention shown lying on their sides in a generally aligned arrangement and shown in a separated spatial relationship.

FIG. 17 illustrates a rear perspective view of the first and second sliders of the restraint release mechanism of a child support device in accordance with the present invention shown lying on their sides in a generally aligned arrangement and shown in a telescopic spatial relationship.

FIG. 18 illustrates an enlarged rear perspective view of ends of the restraint straps passed through the seat from the child receiving side of the seat to the outer side in accordance with the present invention and positioned to be connected to the restraint release mechanism.

FIG. 19 illustrates an enlarged rear perspective view of the shoulder restraint straps passed through from the child receiving side of the seat to the outer side in accordance with the present invention and the restraint release mechanism being compressed in preparation for receiving the restraint strap ends.

FIG. 20 illustrates an enlarged side perspective view of a trapping neck and a lip of the second slider of the restraint release mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates an enlarged rear perspective view showing the first and second sliders of the restraint release mechanism in accordance with the present invention, the sliders being compressed together and the restraint strap ends positioned on the restraint release mechanism to be secured by the restraint release mechanism.

FIG. 22 illustrates an enlarged rear perspective view of the first and second sliders of the restraint release mechanism in accordance with the present invention released to secure the restraint straps on the outer side of the seat.

FIG. 23 illustrates an enlarged rear perspective view of the first and second sliders of the restraint release mechanism in accordance with the present invention compressed to allow a restraint straps to be disconnected from the restraint release mechanism and showing a released shoulder restraint strap.

Claims

1. A child seat comprising: a seat including a child receiving side and an outer side opposite said child receiving side, said seat including a seating portion and a back rest portion, said seat also including passages through said seat for receiving child restraint straps, said passages passing from said child receiving side to said outer side;a restraint including at least two child restraint straps, each of said child restraint straps including a restraint release fastener disposed on at least a first end of said child restraint straps; anda restraint release mechanism for releasably securing said restraint by securing at least two of said restraint release fasteners of said child restraint straps, said restraint release mechanism being coupled to said outer side of said seat and including a slider for actuating said restraint release mechanism to release all of said restraint release fasteners and child restraint straps with a single actuation of said slider.

2. The child seat of claim 1, wherein said child restraint straps of said restraint include child release fasteners disposed on second ends of said child restraint straps opposite to said restraint release fasteners to allow said second ends of said child restraint straps to be releasably fastened together on said child receiving side of said seat.

3. The child seat of claim 1, wherein said slider includes a compression seat and a biasing member and wherein said compression seat is pressed to move said slider against a force of said biasing member to position said slider to receive or release said restraint release fasteners.

4. The child seat of claim 3, wherein said slider also includes a fastener receiving portion for removably and securely receiving said restraint release fasteners of said child restraint straps.

5. The child seat of claim 4, wherein when said fastener receiving portion receives said restraint release fasteners, release of said slider allows said biasing member to force said slider to secure said restraint release fasteners of said child restraint straps on said fastener receiving portion, and compression of said slider against the force of said biasing member allows said restraint release fasteners of said child restraint straps to be removed from said fastener receiving portion.

6. The child seat of claim 5, wherein said slider of said restraint release mechanism is composed of at least two sliders separated by the force of said biasing member, and wherein said fastener receiving portion of said slider is composed of a fastener receiving portion on each said slider.

7. The child seat of claim 6, wherein the fastener receiving portion of one slider is disposed proximate to the fastener receiving portion of another slider when the sliders are moved toward each other, each of the restraint release fasteners includes an aperture, and the fastener receiving portions of the sliders are disposed in the apertures when the restraint release fasteners are coupled to the restraint release mechanism.

8. A restraint release mechanism for releasably securing a restraint on a child seat, said restraint having child restraining straps, said child seat having a child receiving side and an outer side opposite said child receiving side, said child seat also having a seating portion and a back rest portion, each of said child restraints straps having a restraint release fastener on one end, the restraint release mechanism being fastened to the outer side of the child seat, and comprising: a biasing member;a first slider and a second slider, said first slider having a first compression seat, said first compression seat configured for moving said first slider relative to said second slider, said first slider also including a first fastener receiving portion, said second slider having a second compression seat, said second compression seat configured for moving said second slider relative to said first slider, said second slider also including a second fastener receiving portion, wherein said first and second fastener receiving portions of said first and second sliders removably and securely receive said restraint release fasteners of said restraint, and wherein a single compression actuation of said first and second sliders toward each other and against the force of said biasing member allows all of said restraint release fasteners of said child restraint straps to be removed from said first and second fastener receiving portions, and when released, said first and second sliders are separated by said biasing member to secure said restraint release fasteners of said child restraint straps on said first and second fastener receiving portions.

9. The restraint release mechanism of claim 8, wherein each of said child restraint straps includes a child restraint fastener on an opposite end of said child restraint strap from one of said restraint release fasteners, said child restraint fasteners being configured to allow the ends of the child restraint straps to be connected together to restrain a child in said child receiving side of said seat.

10. The restraint release mechanism of claim 8, wherein each restraint release fastener includes an aperture formed therein, and each aperture is configured to receive the first fastener receiving portion and the second fastener receiving portion.

11. The restraint release mechanism of claim 8, wherein as said first and second sliders are moved toward each other, the first fastener receiving portion and the second fastener receiving portion move toward each other and are disposed proximate to each other.

12. The restraint release mechanism of claim 11, wherein each restraint release fastener includes an aperture formed therein, and the apertures are configured to receive the fastener receiving portions when the fastener receiving portions are disposed proximate to each other.

13. The restraint release mechanism of claim 12, wherein when the fastener receiving portions are inserted into the apertures and the restraint release mechanism is released, the fastener receiving portions move apart and couple the restraint release fasteners to the restraint release mechanism.

14. A method of using a child restraint on a child seat, the child seat including a child receiving side and an outer side opposite the child receiving side, and passages formed in the child seat that extend therethrough from the child receiving side to the outer side, the child seat including a first restraint strap and a second restraint strap, each of the restraint straps including a fastener at one of its ends, the child seat including a release mechanism coupled to the outer side, the release mechanism being configured to selectively retain and release the fasteners, the method comprising the steps of: actuating the release mechanism in a single actuation to configure the release mechanism to couple the fasteners thereto;coupling the first restraint strap fastener to the release mechanism;coupling the second restraint strap fastener to the release mechanism; anddisengaging the release mechanism to retain the fasteners on the release mechanism.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the release mechanism includes a first slider, a second slider, and a biasing member, the biasing member being disposed between the first slider and the second slider and configured to force the first slider and the second slider apart, and actuating the release mechanism includes moving the first slider and the second slider toward each other.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first slider includes a coupling portion and the second slider includes its own coupling portion, and actuating the release mechanism causes the coupling portion of the first slider to be disposed proximate to the coupling portion of the second slider.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first restraint strap fastener includes an aperture, and coupling the first restraint strap fastener includes moving the first restraint strap fastener so that the coupling portion of the first slider and the coupling portion of the second slider are inserted into the aperture of the first restraint strap fastener.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second restraint strap fastener includes an aperture, and coupling the second restraint strap fastener includes moving the second restraint strap fastener so that the coupling portion of the first slider and the coupling portion of the second slider are inserted into the aperture of the second restraint strap fastener.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein disengaging the release mechanism causes the coupling portion of the first slider to move away from the coupling portion of the second slider, and the coupling portions remaining inserted in the aperture of the first restraint strap fastener and in the aperture of the second restraint strap fastener.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein disengaging the release mechanism causes the first slider and the second slider to move away from each other.