This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0130822, filed on Oct. 31, 2013, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a footrest for a car seat, and more particularly, to a footrest for a car seat that may support a child (a newborn baby, a toddler, or a child) who sits on a car seat to provide comfortability and safety and may be simply installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a vehicle includes seat belts in order to ensure safety of passengers as well as a driver, and predetermined weight and height or more of children or adults fasten a seat belt so as to prevent their bodies from being catapulted out of the car. However, since children such as a newborn baby, a toddler, or a child, the body of which is smaller than an adult cannot tightly wear a seat belt, even if the children wear a seat belt, the children are in danger of being catapulted out of the car on impact. In order to prevent this problem, a car seat (or child seat) according to a child size is mounted on a vehicle seat, the child sits on the car seat, and then the child wears a seat belt so as to ensure the safety of the child.
However, the feet of the child who sits on the car seat do not touch the bottom of vehicle such that the feet are spaced apart from the bottom of the car seat. In this state, when the vehicle is moved for a long period of time or frequently, a problem arises in that the child goes through inconvenience, the knee, the ankle, or the like is also likely to be damaged, and the child is seriously hurt than an adult while an accident occurs.
In order to overcome this problem, Korean Patent No. 10-0331007 discloses a car seat with a footrest installed therein. However, in this Korean Patent, since the footrest is installed in the car seat, it is inconvenient to abandon a previously used car seat and to purchase a new car seat. In addition, the height and inclination of the footrest are not adjusted according to the body type of a child and the footrest is always fixed. Accordingly, a problem arises in that all age groups of children cannot use the car seat.
The present invention provides a footrest for a car seat that may be simply installed in all types of car seats and may adjust the height or inclination of the footrest according to a body size of a child.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a footrest for a car seat including a coupling plate having a plate shape so as to be coupled between a vehicle seat and a car seat coupled thereto and including at least one first coupling hole formed on a surface of the coupling plate, a supporting plate having a plate shape so as to support feet of a child sitting on the car seat and including at least one second coupling hole on a surface of the supporting plate, and at least one guide bar having a column shape and detachably coupled into the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole, wherein the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole are each a through hole, and an upper end of a guide bar coupled into the first coupling hole is inserted into the second coupling hole so as to position the supporting plate above the coupling plate or a lower end of the guide bar coupled into the first coupling hole is inserted into the second coupling hole so as to position the supporting plate below the coupling plate.
The supporting plate may be rotatable and is fixedly coupled at a specific location of the guide bar while inclination of the supporting plate is adjusted.
The supporting plate may include a supporting member having a plate shape so as to support feet of the child sitting on the car seat, a fixing member including the at least one second coupling hole and coupled to the at least one guide bar, and an inclination adjuster rotatably coupling the supporting member in an axis direction of the fixing member.
The inclination adjuster may include an inclination adjusting gear coupled to a first coupling groove formed in each external side of the fixing member or a second coupling groove formed in each internal side of the supporting member, and an inclination adjusting switch elastically coupled to the inclination adjusting gear and controlling the inclination adjusting gear to be inserted into or separated from the second coupling groove, wherein the inclination adjusting gear is separated from the second coupling groove so as to adjust inclination of the supporting member when a pressure is applied to the inclination adjusting switch, and is coupled into the second coupling groove according to restoration force so as to fix the supporting member when the pressure applied to the inclination adjusting switch is removed.
The footrest may further include a first location adjuster for fixing the supporting plate to the guide bar while the guide bar is inserted into the first coupling hole and a coupling location of the supporting plate and the guide bar is adjusted, and a second location adjuster for fixing the supporting plate to the guide bar while the guide bar is inserted into the second coupling hole and a coupling location of the supporting plate and the guide bar is adjusted.
The at least one guide bar may include a plurality of holes formed in an outer circumference surface with a column shape, the second location adjuster may include at least one supporting plate fixedly coupled to a frame, at least one location adjuster elastically coupled to the supporting plate and including a protrusion formed at one end and inserted into or separated from a hole of the guide bar, a finger stop formed at the other end, and a handle protruding from an upper end or lower end of the frame, and a controller including a flange on which the finger stop stumbles and a switch protruding from an upper end or lower end of the frame, elastically coupled to the frame in the frame, moving along an outer circumference surface of the supporting plate, the finger stop may stumble on the flange and the location adjuster is fixed while the protrusion is separated from a hole of the guide bar when the handle is moved in a direction toward the supporting plate, and the finger stop may be separated from the flange, the protrusion is inserted into the hole of the guide bar, and the guide bar and the supporting plate are fixedly coupled when a pressure is applied in a direction that is not parallel to a moving direction of the handle.
The at least one guide bar may include a plurality of holes formed in the outer circumference surface with a column shape, and the first location adjuster may include an insertion portion extending in one direction or two opposite directions from the first coupling hole, and including a hollow formed in the insertion portion so as to insert the guide bar into the insertion portion and at least one through hole in an outer circumference surface of the insertion portion; and a coupling portion inserted into a through hole of the insertion portion and the hole of the guide bar so as to fixedly fix the guide bar and the coupling plate while the guide bar is inserted into the insertion portion.
The at least one first coupling hole and the second coupling hole are each a through hole, and the coupling plate and the guide bar may be fixedly coupled while the guide bar is press-fit into the first coupling hole and a coupling location of the coupling plate and the guide bar is adjusted, and the supporting plate and the guide bar may be fixedly coupled while the guide bar is press-fit into the second coupling hole and a coupling location of the supporting plate and the guide bar is adjusted.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
The attached drawings for illustrating exemplary embodiments of the present invention are referred to in order to gain a sufficient understanding of the present invention, the merits thereof, and the objectives accomplished by the implementation of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.
Referring to
The coupling plate 110 may have a plate shape so as to be coupled between a vehicle seat and a car seat coupled thereto and include at least one first coupling hole H1 formed on a surface of the coupling plate 110. In general, in order to install a carseat on a vehicle seat, the car seat may be positioned and the car seat may be tied by a seat belt of the vehicle so as to be fixed to the vehicle. Likewise, when the car seat is positioned on the vehicle seat, the coupling plate 110 may be positioned between the vehicle seat and the car seat to be fixed. That is, when the coupling plate 110 may be positioned on the vehicle seat, the car seat may be positioned on the coupling plate 110, and then the car seat is tied by the seat belt so as to be fixed, a pressure of the car seat toward the vehicle seat may be propagated to the coupling plate 110 and the car seat footrest 100 may be fixed. The coupling plate 110 may be formed with various shapes and various materials and may not be limited to the shape of
The supporting plate 130 may have a plate shape so as to support the feet of a child who sits on the car seat and include at least one second coupling hole H2 on a surface of the supporting plate 130. The supporting plate 130 may be a portion for supporting the feet of the child who sits on the car seat, may be formed with various shapes and various materials, and may not be limited to the shape of
The guide bar 150 may have a column shape and may be detachably coupled into the first coupling hole H1 and the second coupling hole H2.
Since the supporting plate 130 may be rotatable, the supporting plate 130 with adjusted inclination may be fixedly coupled to the guide bar 150. The inclination of the supporting plate 130 may be adjusted for comfortability of the child who sits on the car seat or according to convenience of the child such that the child may comfortably and safely sit on the car seat. The supporting plate 130 may include a supporting member 133, a fixing member 135, and an inclination adjuster 137 as an embodiment of components for adjusting the inclination of the supporting plate 130, which will be described in more detail with reference to
In addition, the coupling plate 110 or the supporting plate 130 may be fixedly coupled at a specific location or specific height of the guide bar 150. That is, the first coupling hole H1 and the second coupling hole H2 are each formed as a through hole, and the guide bar 150 is inserted into the first coupling hole H1 or the second coupling hole H2 up to a specific location of the guide bar 150 so as to fixedly couple the coupling plate 110 or the supporting plate 130 and the guide bar 150. Thus, a location or height of the guide bar 150 at which the coupling plate 110 or the supporting plate 130 is coupled to the guide bar 150 may be adjusted. The car seat footrest 100 may further include a first location adjuster 115 and a second location adjuster 139 as components for adjusting a coupling location of the coupling plate 110 or the supporting plate 130. The second location adjuster 139 may fix the supporting plate 130 to the guide bar 150 while the guide bar 150 is inserted into the second coupling hole H2 and a coupling location of the supporting plate 130 and the guide bar 150 is adjusted. An embodiment of the first location adjuster 115 and the second location adjuster 139 will be described in more detail with reference to
Referring to
The supporting member 133 may have a plate shape so as to support the feet of a child who sits on the car seat. The fixing member 135 may include at least one second coupling hole H2 formed therein and may be coupled to at least one guide bar 150. The inclination adjuster 137 may rotatably couple the supporting member 133 in an axis direction of the fixing member 135. The inclination adjuster 137 may couple the supporting member 133 and the fixing member 135 using various configurations. Among these, one embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to
The inclination adjuster 137 may include an inclination adjusting gear 310 and an inclination adjusting switch 340. The inclination adjusting gear 310 may be coupled to a first coupling groove 320 formed in each external side of the fixing member 135 or a second coupling groove 350 formed in each internal side of the supporting member 133. The inclination adjusting gear 310 may be saw-toothed like in the embodiment illustrated in
The inclination adjusting switch 340 may be elastically coupled to the inclination adjusting gear 310 and may control the inclination adjusting gear 310 to be inserted into or separated from the second coupling groove 350. In order to elastically couple the inclination adjusting switch 340 and the inclination adjusting gear 310, an elastic body 330 may be coupled between the inclination adjusting gear 310 and the fixing member 135.
For example, when a pressure is applied to the inclination adjusting switch 340 (when a force is applied in a direction toward the fixing member 135 from the supporting member 133 in the embodiment of
When the inclination of the supporting member 133 is adjusted and then the pressure applied to the inclination adjusting switch 340 is removed (when the force applied in the direction toward the fixing member 135 from the supporting member 133 is removed in the embodiment of
The inclination adjuster 137 of the car seat footrest 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may not be limited to the embodiment of
Referring to
The insertion portion 510 may extend in one direction or two opposite directions from the first coupling hole H1 formed in the coupling plate 110, include a hollow formed in the insertion portion 510 so as to insert the guide bar 150 into the insertion portion 510, and include at least one through hole H3 formed on an outer circumference surface of the insertion portion 510. That is, the insertion portion 510 may protrude to extend from the first coupling hole H1 in a direction toward the supporting plate 130 from the coupling plate 110. The guide bar 150 may include a plurality of holes H4 formed in an outer circumference surface with a column shape. In addition, the guide bar 150 and the coupling plate 110 may be fixedly coupled by inserting the coupling portion 520 into the hole H3 of the insertion portion 510 and the hole H4 of the guide bar 150 while the guide bar 150 is inserted into the insertion portion 510. That is, the first location adjuster 115 may adjust the location or height of the coupling plate 110 to fixedly couple the coupling plate 110 at a specific location of the guide bar 150.
The first location adjuster 115 of the car seat footrest 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment of
Referring to
The guide bar 150 may include a plurality of holes H4 formed on an outer circumference surface with a column shape. At least one supporting plate 610 may be fixedly coupled to the frame 640. Although
For example, when the handle 625 is moved in a direction toward the supporting plate 610, the finger stop 627 may stumble on the flange 633 and the location adjuster 620 may be fixed while the protrusion 623 is separated from a hole of the guide bar 150. In this state, when a pressure is applied in a direction (a vertical direction of
The second location adjuster 139 of the car seat footrest 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment of
Referring to
In addition, like in an embodiment of
In addition to the embodiments described with reference to
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a footrest for a car seat is advantageous in that feet of all age groups of children sitting on the car seat may be comfortably and safely supported by simply adjusting the height or inclination of the footrest according to the body size of the child sitting on the car seat. In addition, instead of a footrest that is used only in a specific car seat or is installed in a car seat, a footrest for a car seat according to an embodiment of the present invention may be inserted between a vehicle seat and the car seat so as to be simply installed and fixed, and thus, is advantageous in that it is not necessary to purchase a new car seat and the footrest may be used for all types of car seats.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2013-0130822 | Oct 2013 | KR | national |