Patent ID: 8056972
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A child restraint comprising a juvenile vehicle seat and an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including an inner shell formed to include an interior region and a normally closed first air-discharge port opening into the interior region of the inner shell and an outer shell formed to include an interior region and a normally closed first air-discharge port opening into the interior region of the outer shell, wherein the inner shell is coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat to form a first air bag having a first air chamber to expose air extant in the first air chamber to the first air-discharge port formed in the inner shell, the outer shell is arranged to cooperate with the inner shell to form a second air bag having a second air chamber bounded at least in part by the outer and inner shells and arranged to expose air extant in the second air chamber to the first air-discharge port formed in the outer shell, the first and second air chambers are filled with air to allow each of the outer and inner shells normally to assume a predetermined inflated shape, the first air-discharge port formed in the inner shell is formed to include means for discharging air from the first air chamber into the second air chamber at a metered rate when the inner shell is exposed to an external impact force to change from the predetermined inflated shape to a deflated shape, and the first air-discharge port formed in the outer shell is formed to include means for discharging air from the second air chamber to surroundings outside the outer shell at a metered rate when the outer shell is exposed to an external impact force to change from the predetermined inflated shape to a deflated shape so that the first ride-down pad absorbs external energy associated with the external impact forces to minimize g-loads experienced by a child seated in the juvenile vehicle seat.