Patent ID: 6050640
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
A new and improved buckle latch mechanism for receiving and retaining a tongue of a belt assembly of an infant carrier comprising, in combination:an essentially rigid frame having an upper surface for receiving padding and a child thereon, a lower surface for being supported on a recipient area and having a foot end and a head end with generally parallel side walls therebetween;a belt assembly for retaining a child safely positioned within the frame, the belt assembly having a lower free end with a rigid tongue formed with an aperture therethrough adapted to be selectively received and retained by a buckle latch mechanism; anda buckle latch mechanism comprising a slot formed in the frame adjacent the foot end essentially transverse to the side walls, a generally rigid plastic latch reciprocally mounted in the frame forwardly of the slot, the latch having a rearwardly extending lower extent beneath the frame movable from a locking position beneath the slot, to an unlocked position forwardly of the slot, the rearward end of the lower extent being angled whereby downward movement of a tongue thereagainst will move the latch forwardly, the latch having an operator controlled upper extent above the frame movable between a locked orientation in proximity to the slot and an unlocked position forwardly thereof, the latch having a vertically extending intermediate extent between the lower extent and the upper extent, the intermediate extent having a cylindrical aperture therethrough;a horizontal post fixedly positioned beneath the upper surface of the frame having a rearward end adjacent to the slot and a forward end at an adjacent portion of the frame;a coil spring having a rearward end in contact with the intermediate extent of the latch urging the latch rearwardly with the lower extent into a locking orientation, the spring having a forward end providing an abutment surface for transmission of a force to urge the latch rearwardly but to allow movement of the latch forwardly against the action of the spring upon an operator's forward motion of the upper portion of the latch.