Patent ID: 8262161
Filing Date: 2012-09-11
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A child restraint is provided for use with both a vehicle passenger seat and anchor mounts provided near the vehicle passenger seat, the child restraint comprising a juvenile holder including a juvenile seat shell and a shell-support base formed to include a first belt-support pad and a second belt-support pad arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first belt-support pad to form a belt-receiving channel therebetween, the shell-support base being adapted for mounting on the vehicle passenger seat and arranged to support the juvenile seat shell in a stationary position thereon, an anchor belt arranged to overlie the first and second belt-support pads and to communicate with the belt-receiving channel therebetween, the anchor belt including a strap having opposite end portions and a central portion interconnecting the opposite end portions and lying on the first and second belt-support pads to form a bridge spanning the belt-receiving channel and a connector coupled to each end portion and adapted to be coupled to one of the anchor mounts to establish a belt path of the anchor belt relative to the first and second belt-support pads when the central portion of the strap lies on the first and second belt-support pads and each connector mates with a companion one of the anchor mounts following initial installation of the anchor belt on the shell-support base and to cause the anchor belt to produce an initial tension measurement when exposed to a belt-tension gauge during an initial belt-tensioning test, and a belt tensioner coupled to the shell-support base and configured to include a belt pusher arranged to lie above a section of the central portion of the strap spanning the belt-receiving channel and move in up-and-down relation to the shell-support base and a belt-path changer configured to apply a downward force to the belt pusher to move the belt pusher in a downward direction to engage the central portion of the anchor belt before the juvenile seat shell is coupled to the shell-support base and while the connectors included in the anchor belt remain coupled to the anchor mounts and the anchor belt remains in contact with the first and second belt-support pads to cause a change in the belt path of the anchor belt relative to the first and second belt-support pads to establish a first changed belt path to increase tension in the anchor belt to produce a predetermined tension measurement that is greater than the initial tension measurement when exposed to the belt-tension gauge during a subsequent second belt-tensioning test so that movement of the shell-support base and the juvenile seat shell coupled to the shell-support base relative to an underlying vehicle passenger seat is limited in accordance with a predetermined specification, and wherein the belt-path changer includes an actuator lever mounted on the shell-support base for pivotable movement about an actuator pivot axis and two-stage belt-mover means for moving the belt pusher in the downward direction to engage and move the central portion of the anchor belt to establish the first changed belt path of the anchor belt and place the anchor belt in tension at about the predetermined tension measurement in response to pivotable movement of the actuator lever about the actuator pivot axis during a first actuation stage relative to the shell-support base and for storing energy during such pivotable movement of the actuator lever that is later released automatically in a subsequent second actuation stage after the juvenile seat shell has been coupled to the shell-support base in response to any unexpected detensioning of the anchor belt sufficient to change tension in the anchor belt to a magnitude that is less than the predetermined tension measurement to move the belt pusher further in the downward direction to move the central portion of the anchor belt to establish a second changed belt path of the anchor belt that is different from the first changed belt path to restore the anchor belt to a tensioned condition characterized by the predetermined tension measurement without any movement of the actuator lever relative to the shell-support base.