Abstract:
An improved child safety seat buckling system and method of using the same for facilitating placement of a child into a child safety seat is disclosed. A series of slots or fasteners placed on the lift bar or handle of the child seat are fitted to interface with buckle end portions of a harness assembly. By securing components of the harness assembly away from the seating area, placement of a child into the seat prior to securing the child into the seat becomes easier. Less time is required to secure the child into the safety seat, and the need for a parent to lean the child forward while securing the child into the seat is eliminated.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to and/or claims the benefit of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the “Priority Applications”), if any, listed below (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Application(s)). In addition, the present application is related to the “Related Applications,” if any, listed below. 
       PRIORITY APPLICATIONS 
       [0002]    U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/926,074 titled “Child Comfort Buckling System and Method of Using the Same,” filed on Jan. 10, 2014, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
       RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0003]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled ADVANCED COMFORT BUCKLING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME, naming David Grey and Stacy Grey as inventors, filed 12 Jan. 2015 pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e)(3), is related to the present application. 
         [0004]    If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with the listings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claim priority to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of the ADS and to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of this application. 
         [0005]    All subject matter of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. 
         [0006]    If an Application Data Sheet (ADS) has been filed on the filing date of this application, it is incorporated by reference herein. Any applications claimed on the ADS for priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120, 121, or 365(c), and any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of such applications, are also incorporated by reference, including any priority claims made in those applications and any material incorporated by reference, to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
       [0007]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE 
       [0008]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0009]    The present invention relates to improvements in child safety seats used on the road, in strollers, or high chairs for feeding, and more particularly to safety seats having a multipoint harness buckling system wherein buckles or harness straps may be secured away from the seating area using components located on a lift bar, thus reducing the time and stress to secure a child into the child safety seat. 
         [0010]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0011]    In the United States and elsewhere, parents are focused on providing their children the safest seats and chairs as possible. Numerous products have been introduced to ensure a child&#39;s safety during movement. While products developed thus far have improved safety, they have come at the expense of convenience for parents; thus, the task of securing a child into a child seat has become challenging and frustrating for parents. While the movement of the child is out of the parent&#39;s control, an improved design of the seat could allow parents to more easily strap and secure their child to the seat. Thus, it would be ideal to provide a product that would substantially reduce the time needed to securely strap a child into a vehicle safety seat, stroller seat, or high chair, and that is compatible with present buckling systems. 
         [0012]    Seats in the prior art have focused on the placement of shoulder and waist straps to secure a child, but they have not focused on ways to make the actual securing process simple for parents, guardians, and caregivers. 
         [0013]    Child safety seats currently focus on ideal placement of safety harnesses to best secure a child to the seat. The benefit from improved placement of safety straps in a child safety seat is a lower injury rate during accidents. However, the placement of buckles and harness straps on current child safety seats is highly inconvenient and makes the process of securing the child in the seat difficult for parents. Child safety seats in the prior art do not account for placement and location of the shoulder straps when a child is being placed into a seat, because the securing process involves multiple unnecessary steps. The prior art presently teaches to rest shoulder harnesses against the backrest of a child seat and to pull the harness straps around the child after placing the child in the seat, adding inconvenience to a process that can be improved upon. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,134, to Cone discloses a convertible Child&#39;s Combination Car Seat and Stroller, with slots placed on the armrests. However, the armrests are disclosed to be used for seat belts in a vehicle. The slots on the armrests are not used nor are they conceived to be able to adequately secure harness shoulder straps while placing a child or infant in the seat. A child or infant must still be initially moved forward in order to adjust the harness shoulder straps outward to secure the child or infant into the disclosed combination safety seat. 
         [0015]    The Child Seat Device in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,266, to Reagan et al. discloses a child seat with slots placed along the armrests; however, the armrests are disclosed to be used for the vehicle seat belts or as a securing point to a vehicle. The slots on the armrests are not used nor are they conceived to be able to adequately secure harness shoulder straps while placing a child in the safety seat, nor is it designed to facilitate more efficient placement of the child into the seat. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,372, to Lenmeyer et al. discloses armrests for infant or child car seats that include a slot along the armrests spaced cantilever from the seat portion. The armrests are intended to receive a box-shaped drink, so that potential movement of the drink box is inhibited while the vehicle is in motion. The armrests disclosed in the Lenmeyer et al. patent are not intended to interface and secure harness shoulder straps before placing a child in the safety seat. 
         [0017]    The Child Safety Seat, U.S. Pat. No. 8,308,231, to Haut, discloses a storage area with one or more storage spaces where a parent, infant, or child can store one or more objects commonly used in baby care such as food, a drink, or toy. The storage spaces are intended to receive items for personal use and are not intended to secure the shoulder straps of a child seat to facilitate placement of the child or infant in a child seat. The invention to Haut does not improve or facilitate securing of the harness shoulder straps on a child in a safety seat. 
         [0018]    The aforementioned armrest embodiments for safety seats can be improved upon to make them better suited to receive a child, more easily place a child, and secure them into the safety seat without having to pull the shoulder straps out from behind the child after they are placed into the safety seat. When using the aforementioned armrest embodiments in the prior art, a child is generally in a state of discomfort from having to sit or lay on the harness assembly, and the risk of further discomfort or possible injury increases when the parent, guardian, or caregiver retrieves the harness assembly from behind and underneath the child in order to complete the buckling process. Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive system and method to help easily secure a child into a safety seat while avoiding the inconvenience of the resting safety straps that make securing a difficulty to parents. The present invention accomplishes this and several other goals. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0019]    The present invention provides an improved child safety seat system and method wherein harness assembly components can be secured towards the lift bar, or handle, and away from the seating area of the safety seat. 
         [0020]    In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one buckle end portion of a harness assembly reversibly fastens to slots located along the armrests of the safety seat. 
         [0021]    In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one buckle end portion or at least one harness strap of a multipoint harness assembly are secured towards the lift bar of the safety seat via a corded assembly. 
         [0022]    In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one buckle end portion or at least one harness strap of a multipoint harness assembly are secured towards the lift bar of the safety seat via a toy mount. 
         [0023]    In an embodiment, a plurality of slits in the backrest and at least one slot in an armrest are used in conjunction to account for the size variation of childs to be secured to the safety seat. 
         [0024]    In an embodiment of the present invention, a retractor cord interconnecting the seat portion and at least one buckle end portion or at least one harness strap further enhances the securing of a child to a safety seat by positioning a buckle end portion away from the backrest while in unbuckled configuration. 
         [0025]    The present device and method of use is intended to be simple as well as inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. Based on the design by the inventor for the present system and method, the invention is also intended to be compatible with any number of pre-existing child safety seats. 
         [0026]    Finally, it is an object of the present invention to disclose a child safety device, which is safe for children but also convenient for parents. 
         [0027]    Embodiments include one, more, or any combination of all of the features listed above. 
         [0028]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a child safety seat wherein an infant is securely buckled in the safety seat, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a safety seat armrest wherein a buckle male end portion of a multipoint harness assembly is stored into a slot in the armrest, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged side view of a slot wherein a buckle male end portion of a multipoint harness assembly is stored, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a buckle female end portion in unbuckled and buckled configurations, in which the dashed lines show a buckled configuration and the solid lines show an unbuckled configuration, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 5  is side view of a lift bar on a child safety seat wherein a corded assembly is attached through a lift bar, in which the dashed lines show a retracted configuration of the corded assembly and the solid lines show an extending configuration of the corded assembly, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a child safety seat wherein buckle male end portions of a harness assembly are stored into slots in an armrest, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 7   a  is a top view of a toy mount that may be utilized secure harness straps away from the seating area of a safety seat;  FIG. 7   b  is a top view the toy mount of  FIG. 7   a  showing internal components, in which the dashed lines show internal components; 
           [0036]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a side of the child safety seat interior showing a toy mount attached to a lift bar and extending towards a harness strap, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0037]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a side of the child safety seat interior showing a toy mount attached to a lift bar and securing a harness strap towards the lift bar, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
       [0000]    
       
         child  10   
         seat portion  100   
         backrest  110   
         armrest  120   
         armrest topside  122   
         armrest outer-side  124   
         armrest inner-side  126   
         slit  130   
         strap hook  140   
         lift bar  150   
         compartment  152   
         lift bar opening  154   
         lift bar attachment device 
         safety seat base  180   
         port  190   
         harness assembly  200   
         harness shoulder strap  210   
         harness waist strap  220   
         harness adjuster strap  230   
         buckle male end portion  240   
         indentation  242   
         harness strap  250   
         harness strap end  252   
         buckle female end portion  260   
         buckle female end opening  262   
         buckle release mechanism  264   
         retractor cord  266   
         retractor cord end  268   
         chest clip portion  290   a    
         chest clip portion  290   b    
         slot  310   
         ridge  320   
         corded assembly  400   
         cord  410   
         cord end  420   
         cord clip  422   
         cord fastener  430   
         toy mount  500   
         toy legs  510   
         toy upper  520   
         gearbox  530   
         toy connection line  540   
         toy connection line top end portion  542   
         toy connection line bottom end portion  544   
         toy connection line cover  546   
         toy attachment assembly  550   
         collar  552   
         collar port  554   
         collar fastener  558   
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0087]    Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below in the accompanying Figures. The following detailed description provides detailed schematics for a thorough understanding of and an enabling description for these embodiments. One having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without certain details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. 
         [0088]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a child safety seat wherein an infant is securely buckled in the safety seat, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The safety seat comprises seat portion  100 , a backrest  110 , armrests  120 , and a harness assembly  200 , which generally comprises at least one buckle male end portion  240 , at least one buckle female end portion  260 , and at least one harness strap  250 , such as a harness waist strap  220 , harness shoulder strap  210 , or harness adjustor strap  230 . Many examples herein describe the use of a five-point harness assembly  200 ; however for the purposes of the present description, the term “harness assembly” may refer to any general type of safety restraint, which includes, but is not limited to any multipoint harness assembly, safety belt, lanyard, or lifeline. A harness assembly  200  in example embodiments described herein may comprise at least one harness shoulder strap  210 , at least one harness waist strap  220 , and at least one buckle male end portion  240 . Embodiments described herein may also include at least one harness adjuster strap  230 , wherein the length of this particular type of harness strap  250  may be varied. 
         [0089]    The five-point harness assembly described in embodiments herein comprises, in combination (a) two buckle male end portions  240  each attached to and interconnecting a harness shoulder strap  210  and a harness waist strap  220 , and each comprising an indentation  242 , and (b) one buckle female end portion  260  comprising at least one buckle female end opening  262  wherein buckle male end portions  240  are inserted and fasten reversibly via one or more indentations  242  located on said buckle male end portions  240 , and a buckle release mechanism  264  located on said buckle female end portion  260 . The harness shoulder straps  210  and shoulder waist straps  220  are fastened to the posterior of the backrest  110 , and the buckle female end portion  260  is fastened to the underside of the seat portion  100 . In the example embodiments described herein, the term indentation  242  may refer to a cutaway, a hole, an opening, a recess, or a pit. In the example in  FIG. 1 , the harness assembly  200  further comprises chest clip portions  290   a  and  290   b , designed to interconnect and reversibly fasten to each other via a fastening means, which may be standard mechanical male end to female end fasteners, magnets housed within clip portions  290   a  and  290   b , a carabiner, or any combination thereof, to further enhance the safe securing of a child to the safety seat. A retractor cord  266 , which may be manufactured from a material exhibiting at least partial elasticity, interconnects said seat portion  100  to said harness adjuster strap  230  or said buckle female end portion  260  and pulls an unbuckled buckle female end portion  260  away from seat portion  100  adjacent to the backrest  110 , thus further enhancing the securing of a child into the safety seat. A simple buckle release mechanism  264  may be used to unbuckle or unfasten at least one buckle female end portion  260  from at least one buckle male end portion  240 . 
         [0090]    The armrests  120  are generally placed cantilever to the backrest  110  and may comprise various components, such as cup holders, toys, etc. It is contemplated that several forms of armrests  120  are suitable without deviating from the scope of this invention. Each armrest  120  may be housed in at least one of several slots  310  to reversibly fasten with a buckle male end portion  240 . Slots  310  may be aligned parallel or perpendicular to each other and may be positioned anywhere on the armrest capable of receiving a buckle male end portions  240 . 
         [0091]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a safety seat armrest  120  wherein a buckle male end portion  240  of a multipoint harness assembly  200  is stored into a slot  310  in the armrests, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. With buckle male end portions  240  secured into slots  310 , any harness shoulder straps  210  or harness waist straps  220  fastened to the buckle male end portions  240  are also secured away from the seating area of the safety seat and towards the armrests  120 . 
         [0092]    In an embodiment of the present invention, buckle male end portions  240 , harness shoulder straps  210 , or harness waist straps  220 , can be secured away from the seating area of the safety seat using the components of a corded assembly  400  attached to the lift bar  150  around the perimeter of lift bar  150  or through a lift bar opening  154  wherein a cord may pass there through. In general, a lift bar  150  is fastened to both the left and right sides of a safety seat or to both armrests  120  of a safety seat and extends over the seating area; however, the lift bar  150  may be rotated as needed towards the seat portion  100  or backrest  110 . While not in use, components of the corded assembly  400  may be stored within a compartment located in proximity to and either exterior or interior to the lift bar  150 . 
         [0093]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged side view of a slot  310  wherein a buckle male end portion of a multipoint harness assembly is stored, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A variety of forms and arrangements may be used to fasten a slot  310  to receive a buckle male end portion  240 . In the example in  FIG. 3 , each of the slots  310  may comprise at least one ridge  320  protruding inward within the slots  310  with each ridge  320  designed to insert into the indention  242  of a buckle male end portion  240 . It is generally desirable that both armrests  120  have a plurality of slots  310  to account for the size of the child. 
         [0094]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a buckle female end portion in unbuckled and buckled configurations, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the unbuckled configuration, buckle female end portion  260  is positioned away from the backrest  110  via a retractor cord  260 . A child may then be placed into the safety seat without needing to remove the buckle female end portion  260  or harness adjuster strap  230  from the seat portion  100  proximate to the backrest  110 ; the child may then easily access the buckle female end portion  260  for fastening to buckle male end portions  240 . A harness strap end  252  fastens harness straps  250  to various locations on the safety seat. Similarly, a retractor cord end  268  fastens retractor cord  260  to the seat portion  100 . Harness strap ends  252  and retractor cord end  268  may take the form of a ball, a plate, or other geometric shapes, or of a carabiner or of a clip movable along and attachable at any point along the length of either a harness strap  250  or a retractor cord  266 . 
         [0095]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a lift bar on a child safety seat wherein a corded assembly  400  is attached through a lift bar  150 , in which the dashed lines show a retracted configuration of the corded assembly  400  and the solid lines show an extending configuration of the corded assembly  400 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this example embodiment, the lift bar attachment device is a corded assembly  400  comprising at least one cord end  420 , at least one cord fastener  430 , and at least one cord  410  that interconnects the cord end  420  and cord fastener  430 . The cord end  420  acts to inhibit unintentional detachment of the corded assembly  400  from the lift bar  150  and may take the form of a ball, a plate, or other geometric shapes, or the cord end  420  may take the form of a carabiner or of a cord clip  422  movable along the cord  410  and attachable at any point along the length of the cord  410  to enhance the reversibly securing of the corded assembly  400  position in relation to the lift bar. The cord fastener  430  is designed to reversibly fasten with buckle male end portions  240  of the harness assembly  200  to pull components of the harness assembly  200  away from the seating area of the child safety seat. Alternatively, this may also be accomplished by looping the cord  410  around a harness strap  250  and fastening the cord fastener  430  to either the cord  410 , the cord end  420 , or both. Examples of cord fasteners  430  include, but are not limited to, a buckle, a carabiner, a loop, or a magnet. The lift bar  150  may further comprise a compartment  152 , designed to house components of the corded assembly  400  within. In an embodiment, the lift bar  150  also comprises at least one slot  310 . In a retracted configuration, the components of the corded assembly  400  are positioned away from the seating area where a child may or may not be seating. In an extending configuration, which generally occurs as a user is preparing to secure components of the harness assembly  200  away from the seating area, the components of the corded assembly  400  are positioned towards the seating area. In an embodiment, the lift bar  150  is concentrically surrounded by a sleeve that may substitute in play of a toy mount  500 . The sleeve is manufactured from a soft and durable material and is reversibly attachable to itself at various locations via one or more fasteners, such as a buckle, a carabiner, a loop, a button, or a magnet. The sleeve is also conceived to include one or more plastic eyelets around the periphery of the sleeve designed to secure one or more harness straps  250  from the seating area. 
         [0096]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a child safety seat wherein buckle male end portions  240  of a harness assembly are stored into slots  310  in an armrest  120 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this example embodiment, the backrest  110  further comprises a plurality of slits  130  that allow harness shoulder straps  210  to be installed at different locations along the backrest  110 . The harness shoulder straps  210  are generally designed to be placed through the slits  130  at a location above the shoulders of the child to be secured and may be placed into one or more of a plurality of slits  130  to account for the size of the child. Slits  130  may be oriented parallel, perpendicular, or at other angles relative to one another, or slits  130  may be oriented in pairs of two wherein the pairs are parallel, perpendicular, or at other angles relative to one another. By adjusting the harness shoulder straps  210  to a plurality of slots  310  and a plurality of slits  130 , this invention is able to secure a child of generally any size into the safety seat. The underside of safety seats in many of the embodiments described herein comprises a safety seat base  180  which may provide extra mechanical support or increase comfort to a child sitting in the safety seat. In many cases, a safety seat base comprises at least one port  190  located on the safety seat base  180  for vehicle seat belt straps to pass through, thus enhancing the ability of a user to secure a safety seat to a vehicle seat, either in forward or reverse directions. 
         [0097]      FIG. 7   a  is a top view of a toy mount that may be utilized secure harness straps away from the seating area of a safety seat;  FIG. 7   b  is a top view the toy mount in  FIG. 7   a  showing internal components, in which the dashed lines show internal components. In this example embodiment, the lift bar attachment device is a toy mount  500  comprising at least one toy leg  510 , a toy upper  520 , a toy connection line  540 , and a toy attachment assembly  550 . The toy attachment assembly  550  is designed to reversibly fasten the toy mount  500  to a lift bar  150  on the child safety seat. In an embodiment of the present invention, the toy attachment assembly  550  comprises a collar  552  with a collar port  554  positioned at any point of the collar  552  to connect to the collar end portion  542  of the toy connection line  540 . The toy connection line  540  may be surrounded by a toy protection line cover  546  that protects the child from the toy connection line  540  and protects the toy connection line  540  from dirt, food, and damage in the general sense. The toy end portion  544  of the toy connection line  540  attaches to the toy upper  520 . A toy upper  520  and toy legs  510  that are designed for the entertainment of the child are preferable however not necessary for the operation of this embodiment. It may be beneficial in many cases for any toy legs  510  to attach to a toy upper  520  opposite to or near opposite to a toy connection line  540 ; however any toy legs  510  and a toy connection line  540  can attach to a toy upper  520  at any location on the toy upper  520  without deviating from the scope of this invention. 
         [0098]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the toy upper  520  comprises a gearbox  530  wherein a gear is housed. Gearbox  530 , which may further comprise a gearbox protection cover designed to prevent damage to the gearbox  530  by restricting objects and materials from entering the gearbox  530 , may comprise a vibrating mechanism so that the toy upper  520  vibrates when toy upper  520  retracts towards the toy attachment assembly  550 . This further enhances the method of using a toy mount  500  to secure a child into a safety seat because the vibrating toy mount  500  entertains the child and makes the child less prone to agitation, which may complicate the buckling process. The gearbox  530  may also retract the toy connection line  540  to pull the toy attachment assembly  550  towards the toy upper  520 , for situations when the toy mount  500  is not in use. The gear housed within the gearbox  530  connects to the toy connection line  540  and may further a gearbox brake that is designed to clamp the gearbox  530  in place along the toy connection line  540  so as to act in a similar manner to a belt buckle. While in use, the gearbox  530  and gear is generally designed to keep constant pressure pulling the toy connection line  540  tightly so as to adapt the toy mount  500  to adapt to any type of harness strap  250 . Examples of forms for the toy mount  500  includes, but are not limited to a toy duck, a toy dog, a toy cat, other toy animals, a toy human, a toy extraterrestrial, or a toy monster. 
         [0099]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the toy connection line  540  may be manufactured from a material exhibiting at least partial elasticity to promote retracting of the toy upper  520  towards the toy attachment assembly  550 . 
         [0100]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a side of the child safety seat interior showing a toy mount  500  attached to a lift bar  150  and extending towards a harness strap  250 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. When the safety seat is not in use, a parent may pull the toy mount  500  towards the seating area without having to worry about detachment of the toy mount  500  from the lift bar  150  and loop the toy mount  500  and toy connection line  540  around a harness strap  250  of a harness assembly  200 , which may be a harness shoulder strap  210  or harness waist strap  220 , and towards the lift bar  150 . 
         [0101]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a side of the child safety seat interior showing a toy mount attached to a lift bar and securing the harness shoulder straps towards the lift bar, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The toy legs  510  are looped around a harness strap  250  of the harness assembly  200 , while the toy attachment assembly  550  attaches to and secures the toy mount  500  to the lift bar  150 .  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  demonstrate how the toy mount  500  described herein may be used to retrofit older model child safety seats with the advanced comfort buckling system. 
         [0102]    Many of the examples described above utilize a single molded component to incorporate a seat portion  100 , a backrest  110 , and armrests  120 . This type of system is intended to ease the process of manufacturing the invention; however, it is not necessary that a single molded component be used, and the example should not be construed to limit the invention to utilizing a single molded component. Additionally, embodiments are contemplated wherein the positions of said buckle male end portion  240  and said buckle female end portion  260  may be reversed, and slots  310  or cord fastener  430  described herein adapted to reversibly fasten to a buckle female end portion  260 . 
         [0103]    A method for using the presently described system to secure a child to a safety seat generally comprises the steps of securing at least one buckle male end portion  240  or at least one harness strap  250 , such as a harness shoulder strap  210 , a harness waist strap  220 , or combination thereof, towards at least one lift bar  150  using at least one lift bar attachment device or towards at least one slot  310 , placing the child into the safety seat, unfastening the harness strap  250  from the lift bar  150  or slot  310 , then fastening the buckle male end portions  240  to a buckle female end portion  260 . During the initial phase of the method for using the presently described system, the buckle male end portions  240  are stored into slots  310  in the armrests  120  or the harness straps  250  or buckle male end portions  240  are secured away from the seating area using a lift bar attachment device described herein. Additionally, the retractor cord  266  directs the buckle female end portion  260  in its unbuckled configuration away from the backrest  110 . To this initial configuration, a child can be placed into the safety seat, with the child&#39;s bottom and back rested firmly upon the seat portion  100  and backrest  110 , respectively, while each of the buckle male end portions  240  is stored into a slot  310  within an armrest  120  or the harness straps  250  or buckle male end portions  240  are secured away from the seating area using a lift bar attachment device described herein. A child is then placed into the safety seat and does not need to spend time removing components of the harness assembly  200  from the seat portion  100  or backrest  110 . The buckle male end portions  240  are then detached from slots  310  or the harness straps  250  or buckle male end portions  240  are unfastened from a lift bar attachment device described herein and then quickly fastened to the buckle female end portion  260 . 
         [0104]    For securing infants into a child safety seat, the safety seat is generally placed facing backwards in the vehicle seat with the backrest  110  placed perpendicular to the outer edge portion of the vehicle seating area. Seat belt harness straps in the vehicle pass through either ports  190  in the child safety seat base  180  or through one or more strap hooks  140 , both of which can act as anchor points for the child safety seat to be secured to the vehicle seat and are generally located on or in proximity to an armrest. 
         [0105]    A method for using the presently described system to expel a child from a safety seat generally comprises the steps of detaching buckle male end portions  240  from at least one buckle female end portion  260 , then removing the child from the safety seat. Furthermore, the method may further comprise a subsequent step of securing the buckle male end portion  240  or at least one harness strap  250 , towards a lift bar  150  using a lift bar attachment device or towards at least one slot  310 , an embodiment of the present invention that enables a user to prepare the safety seat for quickly placing a child into the safety seat at a time subsequent to removing the child from the safety seat rather than at a time just prior to placing the child into the safety seat. 
         [0106]    Parents that use child safety seats without the present invention currently must always lean the child forward after placement in a safety seat and move the child around in order to pull the harness assembly components from the posterior of the child. This action typically agitates both the child and parent and requires additional time to secure the child safely; however, storing the harness straps  250  to the sides, as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  9 , eliminates the need to move the child forward once placed in the seat. 
         [0107]    With the child in a sitting position, the two buckle male end portions  240  are fastened to the buckle female end portion  260 . The method of using the presently described systems generally involves having a buckle male end portion  240  or at least one harness strap  250 , such as a harness shoulder strap  210 , a harness waist strap  220 , or combination thereof, secured to the sides, placing a child into the seat portion  100 , then fastening the buckle components of the harness assembly  200 . This reduces the time necessary to secure the child into the safety seat without compromising the safety of the child, thus demonstrating the advantage of this embodiment over the aforementioned prior art. 
         [0108]    The above example describes the use of “person” or “child,” however for the purposes of the present description, the term “child” may refer to any general type of small human being or primate. 
         [0109]    While particular embodiments of the invention have been described and disclosed in the present application, it is clear that any number of permutations, modifications, or embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. Accordingly, it is not the inventor&#39;s intention to limit this invention in this application, except as by the claims. 
         [0110]    Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention. 
         [0111]    The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiment or form disclosed herein or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. 
         [0112]    All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. 
         [0113]    In general, the terms used in the claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims. 
         [0114]    In light of the above “Detailed Description,” Inventor may make changes to the invention. While the detailed description outlines possible embodiments of the invention and discloses the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention may be practiced in a myriad of ways. Thus, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the spirit of the invention as disclosed by the inventor. As discussed herein, specific terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.