This application claims priority Dutch Patent Application No. NL2023470, filed Jul. 10, 2019, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a coupling mechanism for coupling a first component to a second component. The present disclosure further relates to a child seat transporting system provided with at least one such a coupling mechanism.
According to the present disclosure, a coupling mechanism is provided whereby forces can be transmitted from a pen (also called a pin) to an axis, whilst the rotation of the hook is independent from the distance between and the position of the pen and the axis.
In illustrative embodiments, the first component comprises a second pen extending parallel to the pivot axis at a distance thereof, whilst the coupling element comprises a second hook, wherein in the first position the second pen is disconnected from the second hook, whilst in the second position the second pen is located in the second hook.
In illustrative embodiments, when coupling the first pen to the first hook of the coupling element, the coupling element is being rotated about the pivot axis to the second position. By rotating the coupling element to the second position, the second hook is simultaneously coupled to the second pen. Forces on the first pen will be transmitted through the coupling element to the pivot axis and the axis of second pen. The second pen and the axis thereof can be located at any desired distance from the first pen and at any desired position with respect to the first pen.
In illustrative embodiments, the coupling is characterized in that the coupling element comprises a slotted hole, wherein part of a wall of the slotted hole forms the second hook. With such a slotted hole, the second pen will always be connected to the coupling element. Such a slotted hole provides a strong coupling element.
In illustrative embodiments, the coupling mechanism is characterized in that the coupling element is pivotable against spring force from the first to the second position, in which second position the coupling element is lockable. Due to the spring force the coupling element will be automatically move to the first position as soon as the coupling element is being unlocked from its the second position.
In illustrative embodiments, the present disclosure also relates to a child seat transporting system comprising a child seat and a supporting part for supporting the child seat, wherein one of the child seat or supporting part comprises a first component of at least one coupling mechanism as mentioned above, whilst the other of the child seat or supporting part comprises a second component of the at least one coupling mechanism as mentioned above.
In illustrative embodiments, with such a child seat transporting system, forces exerted on the child seat can be easily transmitted from the first pen to the second pen, whilst rotating of the coupling element takes place about the pivot axis being located at a distance from the axis of the second pen. This provides a great degree of freedom for the design of the supporting part as well as of the child seat as well as the possibility of a compact geometry.
In illustrative embodiments, the child seat transporting system is characterized in that the child seat transporting system comprises a base being detachably connectable to a seat of a vehicle, wherein the support part is the base of the child seat transporting system.
In illustrative embodiments, the base is provided with the first or second component, whereas the child seat is provided with the other component. In some countries and by some manufacturers it is common to provide the child seat with the at least one first pen, whilst the base is provided with cooperating first hooks, whilst in other countries and by other manufacturers it is common to provide the base with the at least one first pen, whilst the child seat is provided with cooperating first hooks.
In illustrative embodiments, the child seat transporting system is characterized in that the child seat transporting system comprises a safety part, wherein the support part is the safety part of the child seat transporting system, which safety part being directly detachably connectable to a seat of a vehicle, being detachably connectable to a base being detachably connectable to a seat of a vehicle, and/or being detachably connectable to a frame of a stroller.
In illustrative embodiments, the safety part is provided with the first or second component of the at least one coupling mechanism, whereas the child seat is provided with the other component.
In illustrative embodiments, the safety part provides safety to the child seat. The child seat can be used and carried around independently from the safety part or can be used and carried around together with the safety part. The safety part can be mounted directly on a seat of a vehicle, can be mounted on a base being connected on a seat of a vehicle or can be mounted on a frame of a stroller. This provides a single child seat transporting system with a number of different purposes. An advantage to be able to detachably connect the safety part to the frame of the stroller, whilst the child seat is detachably connected to the safety part, is that only the width of the safety part needs to be such to be able to connect it to the frame. The child seat can have a smaller width. This makes it easier to carry only the child seat with a child located therein. If desired the user can also carry the safety part with the child seat and a child located therein. Such a unit will be heavier but also more sturdy.
In illustrative embodiments, the child seat transporting system is characterized in that the child seat comprises a harness system provided with at least shoulder belts and a crotch belt, wherein the crotch belt is with one end connected to the first pen of the at least one coupling mechanism, whilst the safety part is provided with the second pen of the at least one coupling mechanism, wherein the safety part is detachably connectable to the base being by means of at least the second pen. This has the advantage that forces on the crotch belt will be transmitted directly via the first pen, the coupling element and the second pen to the base.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
On the right side of
The unit 5 can be mounted on a seat of a vehicle and connected thereto by means of vehicle seat belts (not shown) to be guided through hooks 18, 19 mounted on the backside and near the front side of the safety part 2.
As can be seen in
The base 20 comprises four hooks 21, 22 (only two are visible) each being rotatable with respect to the base 20 around an axis 23, 24. Two hooks 21 are located near the front side of the base 20 whilst two other hooks 22 are located near the rear side 25 of the base 20. In
Each hook 21, 22 is connected to a spring 28 forcing the hook 21, 22 to the opened position. To mount the unit 5 on the base 20, the hooks 21, 22 are being moved by means of a slide 29 of the base 20 to the opened position wherein the pens 16, 17 can be respectively connected to the hooks 22, 21 by pushing the pens 16, 17 onto the abutment surface 26 of the respective hook 21, 22 due to which the hooks 21, 22 will pivot around axis 23, 24 against spring force of the springs 28 to the locked position. The pens 16, 17 will than be located in notches 30, 31 of the hooks 21, 22. The hooks 21, 22 will be locked by locking means. Any other suitable means to connect the safety part 3 to the base 20 may be possible.
The base 20 is also provided with hooks 33 near the rear side 25 thereof to connect the base 20 to ISOFIX-connectors 34 mounted in a vehicle. The base 20 is also provided with a leg 35 resting with an end remote of the base 20 on a floor of a vehicle. Such a leg 35 is well known and will therefore not be further explained.
The safety part 2 is provided on both longitudinal sides with first connecting elements 42 (see
At a side below the seat portion 15 the child seat 3 comprises a pen 54 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the child seat 3 and perpendicular to side walls 61 of the shell 51. An end of the crotch belt 9 remote of the lock 10 is connected to the pen 54. The pen 54 is supported by and extends through two flanges 55 forming an integral part of the shell 51. Each end 56 of the pen 54 forms a first pen of the coupling mechanism according to the present disclosure.
The safety part 2 comprises a ring shaped frame 57 extending around the upper side of the safety part 2. The ring shaped frame 57 prevents the safety part 2 and therefor the child seat 3 when located inside the safety part 2 to be deformed in case of a crash like a car incident. The safety part 2 is provided with two enlarged passages 58 to reduce the weight of the safety part 2.
Due to the safety part 2, the unit 5 comprising the safety part 2 and the child seat 3 fulfills the requirements regarding safety.
The safety part 2 comprises a bottom part 59 to support the child seat 3. The blind holes 53 are located on both sides of the bottom part 59. The safety part 2 is near a front side thereof provided with two recesses 60 through which the pen 54 of the child seat 3 can be connected to two first hooks of the coupling mechanism according to the present disclosure, as will be explained here below.
The coupling mechanism 71 comprises two coupling elements 72 each provided with the first hook 73 and a second hook 74. The coupling elements 72 are pivotable about pivot axes 75. Part of the coupling mechanism 71 is also pen 54 of the child seat 3 as well as pen 16 of the safety part 2 by means of which the safety part 2 can be connected to the base 20. The pen 54 cooperates with first hooks 73 whilst the pen 16 cooperates with second hooks 74.
As can be seen in
Each coupling element 72 is also provided with a third hook 76. The third hook 76 is attached to a spring 77. The spring 77 is attached at an end remote of the third hook 76 to an operating device 78.
In the
Each coupling elements 72 comprises an abutment surface 79. Each first hook 73 comprises a notch 80 and a gripping surface 81. Each second hook 74 comprises a notch 82 and a gripping surface 83. In the first position the abutment surfaces 79 are located in the recesses 60 whilst the notches 80 and the gripping surfaces 81 on the first hook 73 are located outside the recesses 60.
Each coupling elements 72 also comprises a locking surface 84.
When positioning the child seat 3 on the safety part 2 the protrusions 52 of the child seat 3 are inserted into the blind holes 53 of the safety part 2 and the pen 54 of the child seat 3 is brought into the recesses 60 and is pressed with a pressing force against the abutment surfaces 79 of the coupling elements 72. Due to this pressing force, the coupling elements 72 are being pivoted about the pivot axes 75 against spring force of the springs 77 in a direction indicated by arrow P2 to a second position. In the second position, as shown in
In
In the second position the locking surfaces 84 of the coupling elements 72 are brought in contact with locking surface 85 on the operating device 78 to lock the coupling elements 72 and the hooks 73, 74 thereof in said second position.
To unlock the locking surfaces 84, 85 the operating device 78 is being pivoted about pivot axis 86 against spring force of springs 77 in a direction as indicated by arrow P3, whereby under spring force of the springs 77 the coupling elements 72 are being pivoted in a direction opposite to arrow P2. When pivoting the coupling elements 72 in a direction opposite to arrow P2, abutment surfaces 79 of the coupling elements 72 pushes the pen 54 slightly out of the notches 80, whereafter still under spring force of the springs 77 the coupling elements 72 pivot to the first position.
As can be see in
The coupling element 92 differs from the coupling element 72 in that it comprises a slotted hole 93 in which the pen 16 is located. A part of a wall 94 bounding the slotted hole 93 forms the second hook.
In
In
The child seat transporting system 1 according to the present disclosure has the advantage that the child can be transported in a number of different manners which can each time be chosen depending on the wishes of the person taking care of the child.
It is also possible to use in other embodiments the coupling mechanism to couple the safety part to the base, to couple the child seat directly to the base or to couple other components to each other. In case that the child seat will be directly coupled to the base, the child seat must fulfil the required safety regulations.
It is also possible to connect the child seat 3 with other means to the safety part 2.
By the embodiment as shown in
It is also possible that the safety part comprises ISOFIX-connectors so it can be directly connected to the vehicle seat without a vehicle belt.
It is also possible to use another element not being a pen 16 as attachment means for the safety part 3 and to guide forces from the safety part 3 to the base 2.
The present disclosure relates to a coupling mechanism for coupling a first component to a second component, wherein the first component comprises at least one coupling element provided with at least a first hook, which coupling element being pivotable about a pivot axis, whilst the second component comprises at least a first pen extending parallel to the pivot axis, wherein the coupling element is pivotable between a first position wherein the first pen is disconnected from the first hook and the first and second component can be decoupled from each other and a second position wherein the first pen is located in the first hook and the first and second component are detachably coupled to each other.
The present disclosure further relates to a child seat transporting system provided with at least one such a coupling mechanism.
In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.
A comparative child transporting system comprises a base and a seat being detachably connected to the base. The base comprises four recesses and four hooks each being movable from a first position to a second position and vice versa. Two hooks are located near the front side of the base whilst two other hooks are located near the rear side of the base. Each hook is rotatable with respect to the base around a pivot axis. The hooks are rotatable against spring force from the first position to the second position.
The seat is provided on the lower part of a seat part with two longitudinal pens extending parallel to each other and located at a distance of each other corresponding to the distance between recesses of the base.
In the first position each pen connected to the seat can be positioned in a corresponding recess of the base, whilst in the second position each pen is maintained in the corresponding recess by the respective hook.
When a user puts the seat on the base, the pens are positioned in the recesses. By doing so each pen exerts a force on an abutment surface of the respective hook whereby the hook is rotated against the force of the spring about the respective pivot axis, to the second position in which the pen is located in a notch of the hook and engaged to the base by means of the hook and a gripping surface thereof.
In the second position forces on the pen are directly transmitted via de hook to the pivot axis.
To be able to rotate the hook about its pivot axis, by pressing the pen on the abutment surface in a first direction there must be a certain distance between the abutment surface and the pivot axis in a direction perpendicular to the first direction to obtain a desired lever arm to convert the pressing force into the rotational movement. A disadvantage of the comparative coupling mechanism is that when such distance and lever arm can not be realized due to for example constructional limitations, no such pen-hook coupling element can be used.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2023470 | Jul 2019 | NL | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3596986 | Ragsdale | Aug 1971 | A |
5806924 | Gonas | Sep 1998 | A |
5893606 | Chiang | Apr 1999 | A |
6017088 | Stephens | Jan 2000 | A |
6199949 | DaSilva | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6375260 | Hiramatsu | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6386632 | Goor | May 2002 | B1 |
6517153 | Brewer | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6715828 | Cheng | Apr 2004 | B1 |
6910696 | Bargery | Jun 2005 | B2 |
6913313 | Sedlack | Jul 2005 | B2 |
7488034 | Ohren | Feb 2009 | B2 |
7597396 | Longenecker | Oct 2009 | B2 |
8070228 | Karremans | Dec 2011 | B2 |
8186757 | Duncan | May 2012 | B2 |
8702169 | Abadilla | Apr 2014 | B2 |
8714639 | Heisey | May 2014 | B2 |
8911015 | Cohen | Dec 2014 | B2 |
8998312 | Sellers | Apr 2015 | B2 |
9056567 | Wuerstl | Jun 2015 | B2 |
9066610 | Duan | Jun 2015 | B2 |
9119483 | Heisey | Sep 2015 | B1 |
9597986 | Hou | Mar 2017 | B2 |
9771006 | Forbes | Sep 2017 | B2 |
9771007 | Shellenberger | Sep 2017 | B2 |
10028592 | Ruiz | Jul 2018 | B1 |
10220734 | Cohen | Mar 2019 | B2 |
10363842 | Anderson | Jul 2019 | B2 |
11034266 | Heisey | Jun 2021 | B2 |
11134793 | Smith | Oct 2021 | B2 |
20100225150 | Duncan | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100230933 | Dean | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20100231019 | Berkey | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20140292049 | St. Pierre | Oct 2014 | A1 |
20150266399 | Lake | Sep 2015 | A1 |
20160031343 | Juchniewicz | Feb 2016 | A1 |
20170065098 | Taylor | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20180186254 | Chen | Jul 2018 | A1 |
20180334059 | Churilla | Nov 2018 | A1 |
20200260884 | Smith | Aug 2020 | A1 |
20200269733 | Heisey | Aug 2020 | A1 |
20200307423 | Abro | Oct 2020 | A1 |
20210023969 | Coakley | Jan 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
102004049919 | Apr 2006 | DE |
1175858 | Jan 2002 | EP |
1259396 | Nov 2002 | EP |
1591306 | Nov 2005 | EP |
1591307 | Nov 2005 | EP |
1837230 | Sep 2007 | EP |
1969974 | Sep 2008 | EP |
1974988 | Oct 2008 | EP |
2108566 | Oct 2009 | EP |
2210768 | Jul 2010 | EP |
2429401 | Feb 2007 | GB |
199707716 | Mar 1997 | WO |
200164471 | Sep 2001 | WO |
2006094341 | Sep 2006 | WO |
2017029273 | Feb 2017 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Netherlands Search Report for Netherlands App. No. NL2023469 dated Mar. 3, 2020, DN-139 NL, 7 pages. |
Netherlands Search Report for Netherlands App. No. NL2023470 dated Mar. 4, 2020, DN-139 NL, 7 pages. |
Office Action dated Sep. 15, 2021 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/938,196 (pp. 1-14). |
Office Action (Non-Final Rejection) dated Feb. 11, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/922,302, (pp. 1-10). |
Office Action dated Nov. 4, 2021 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/922,302, (pp. 1-12). |
Office Action dated Jun. 9, 2021 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/938,196 (pp. 1-11). |
Office Action (Non-Final Rejection) dated Jun. 7, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/937,885, (pp. 1-13). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20210009012 A1 | Jan 2021 | US |