Abstract:
The child safety seat includes a seat body having a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat bottom is slidably connected to a first portion of the base and the seat back is slidably connected to a second portion of the base. The seat body is movable relative to the base, namely, between a resting position and ride down position. A dampening member is connected between the seat body and the base for dampening/retarding the movement of the seat body from the resting position to the ride down position. The dampening member is preferably partially oriented yarn that is no longer usable after use, such as in the event of an accident. The recline angle of the seat body relative to the base is adjustable.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to and claims priority from earlier filed provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/316,955, filed Mar. 24, 2010, the entire contents thereof is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to child restraint and safety devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to child restraint and safety (CRS) devices, such as child car seats and booster seats. 
         [0003]    In the prior art, child safety restraints, such as those for use in a vehicle are very well known in the art. Such restraints are secured to an existing vehicle car seat. The child is then secured to the restraint to secure the child during travel. These prior art restraints are typically in the form of a booster seat or a child car seat. A booster seat is commonly known as a seat that attached to an existing vehicle seat where the seat uses the existing belt restraint system of the vehicle. Such a booster seat is commonly used for older children. Also, a child restraint may be in the form of a child car seat, which is secured itself directly to the vehicle, such as by the car&#39;s seat belt system or directly to the frame of the vehicle using hooks, and other attachment mechanisms and systems. For ease of discussion, child car seats and booster seats will collectively be referred to as “child car seats”. 
         [0004]    Many countries around the world have standardized how a child car seat is to be secured to a vehicle seat and how movement of the seat is controlled in the event of an impact to improve the overall safety of children&#39;s car seats in vehicles. 
         [0005]    It is well known in the art that child seats must be secured to a supporting vehicle seat in some fashion so that it does not move around the vehicle during use. A system called Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) is commonly used for this purpose, which includes two lower anchor attachments and a top tether. The term is often used generically to refer only to the pair of fixed lower loop shaped anchors built into the bight or crack between the seat back and seat cushion. The LATCH system was originally called ISOFIX, which is a term still used in Europe. Canada, employs a similar standard called the Universal Anchorage System (UAS). It has also been called the Universal Child Safety Seat System or UCSSS. All of foregoing systems refer to the same universal anchorages that started to appear on car models starting in about the year 2000. These are now required by law in the United States for almost all model year 2003 and later vehicles. 
         [0006]    When a LATCH system is used, existing seatbelts are no longer necessary to install the car seat because the child car seat is mounted directly to the vehicle via the metal loops using webbing or a “rigid” connector. The child car seat or booster seat includes releasable clips to engage with the metal loops of the LATCH system. This makes it easier to install car seats safely, and to make it more universal among car seats and vehicles. Compatible corresponding LATCH coupling systems are now commonly found on child car seat bases, rear-facing, front-facing and combination booster seats and those that have an internal harness. Further details of the LATCH system need not be discussed in further detail as it is so well known in the art. It should also be understood that the LATCH system, although a preferred method, is just one way to secure a child seat to a supporting vehicle seat. 
         [0007]    In light of the requirement to fixedly secure a child seat to a supporting vehicle seat, there are challenges in the industry for control over the movement of the seat itself in the event of an impact to the vehicle, such as during an accident. More specifically, there is a concern as to movement of the child seat in such conditions because excessive forces exerted can cause injury to a child in the child car seat. 
         [0008]    For example, when a child car seat is fixedly connected to a vehicle, an accident may cause impact forces that can cause very sudden and abrupt movements to the child, such as can occur when a vehicle is abruptly stopping. It has been shown that these sudden and abrupt movements to a child in a child car seat is more likely to injure a child than movements that are less abrupt. For example, sudden stopping a vehicle and the sudden stopping of forces to a child car seat is more likely to injure a child than a where such forces are stopped in a slower or decelerated fashion. 
         [0009]    In view of this, some child car seats are designed with features that in some way decelerate the child&#39;s movement relative to the the movement of the vehicle. This helps reduce resulting impact forces to the child and helps prevent injuries to a child in the child car seat. This deceleration is often called “ride down” where some type of load limiting is provided to manage the deceleration rate of the child car seat. 
         [0010]    Load limiting for “ride down” in child car seats can be provided in many different ways. For example, the seat belt harness, at different locations, can be configured to include some type of elastic or spring member to help gently slow down the deceleration of the child car seat. This is very similar to fall restraint technology used for safety harnesses for working in a construction site. Also, child car seats can also include various types of spring biasing members, such as springs, foam and the like, within the construction of the child car seat itself to assist in absorbing and limiting the load to improve safety for the child. 
         [0011]    There have also been attempts in the prior art to provide child car seats that have a portion that moves relative to another portion of the seat where that relative movement is load limited while also providing the ability to recline the seat. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,751, issued to Sedlack, et al., teaches such a ride down child car seat where the car seat rides along a curvilinear track in the even of an impact. Such riding is controlled by a spring to help decelerate the movement of the load of the child car seat. In this seat, depending on whether the seat is forward facing or rear facing, the leading edge of the seat will move upwardly along the curvilinear track. This device suffers from disadvantages of being difficult to incorporate recline adjustability with the curvilinear ride down configuration disclosed. Also, curved movement of the seat is required, which is undesirable because this adds complexity and further directions of force. 
         [0012]    In view of the above, there is a need for a child car seat that includes a ride down capability while also being able to provide recline angle adjustment for further comfort of the child without sacrificing safety of the child. There is a also a desire to provide a linear movement of the seat for load limiting ride down capability for added reliability and reduction of force and movement applied to the child to reduce injuries in the case of an accident. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art child restraint devices, such as child seats and booster seats. In addition, it provides new advantages not found in currently available devices and overcomes many disadvantages of such currently available devices. 
         [0014]    As mentioned above, there is a desire to limit the load of a child car seat and help it decelerate for “ride down” to help minimize the effects of a sudden stop and prevent resultant injuries to a child. 
         [0015]    The invention is generally directed to the novel and unique child safety seat includes a seat body having a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat bottom is slidably connected to a first portion of the base and the seat back is slidably connected to a second portion of the base. The seat body is movable relative to the base, namely, between a resting position and ride down position. A dampening member is connected between the seat body and the base for dampening/retarding the movement of the seat body from the resting position to the ride down position. The dampening member is preferably partially oriented yarn that is no longer usable after use, such as in the event of an accident. The seat preferably includes a sliding cassette that moves inside the base and is connected to the dampening member to provide the ride down deceleration. The recline angle of the seat body relative to the base is adjustable using a releasable pawl pin that engages with teeth on the sliding cassette. 
         [0016]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a child safety seat that provides ride down deceleration in the event of an accident or other high force situations that could harm the child. 
         [0017]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a child safety seat that is recline angle adjustable. 
         [0018]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a child safety seat that repositions the child during ride down while dampening or retarding motion. 
         [0019]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a child safety seat that includes a linear path of movement of the seat during ride down. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    The novel features which are characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the invention&#39;s preferred embodiments, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the child safety seat of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the child safety seat of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the child safety seat of  FIG. 1  showing the seat body at rest; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the child safety seat of  FIG. 1  illustrating the slidable interconnection of the seat back to a second portion of the base; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a close-up perspective view of the child safety seat of  FIG. 1  illustrating the slidable interconnection of the seat bottom to a first portion of the base; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a close-up partially broken away view of the slidable interconnection of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a close-up view of the slidable interconnection of  FIG. 5  with outer housing removed for illustration purposes; 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the ratcheted sliding carriage of the present invention for recline angle adjustment of the seat body relative to the base; 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the pull tab for permitting adjustment of the recline angle of the seat body; 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  is a close-up perspective view of the locking pawl structure for setting the recline angle of the seat body; 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the present invention with the seat adjusted to a most upright recline position; 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the present invention with the seat adjusted to a middle recline position; 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the present invention with the seat adjusted to a maximum recline position; 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  is a side view of the present invention in the process of ride down and engagement of the dampening member; 
           [0035]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the present invention at maximum ride down for dampening; 
           [0036]      FIG. 16  is a plan view of preferred dampening material used in the present invention when in a contracted at rest condition; 
           [0037]      FIG. 17  is a plan view of the preferred dampening material used in the present invention when in an extended or stretched condition representing a ride down seat dampening condition; and 
           [0038]      FIG. 18  is a graph illustrating the dampening capability of the dampening material for a given load at a given elongation. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0039]    The child safety seat  10  of the present invention uniquely provides both ride down deceleration with recline adjustment of the seat body, generally referred to as  12 . Referring first to  FIGS. 1-4 , the general configuration of the child safety seat  10  of the present invention is shown. More specifically, the child safety seat  10  includes a seat body  12  that is slidably mounted to a base  14 . Details of the sliding interconnection thereof will be described in detail below. The seat body  12  includes a seat bottom  16  and a seat back  18 , which are preferably integrally formed with each other. Various padding  20  and armrests  22  are preferably provided for added comfort of the child (not shown). The headrest  24  may be adjustable for even further comfort, customization and safety. 
         [0040]    The seat body  12  and base are collectively secured to a vehicle car seat  26 . For example, the present invention can be affixed to a vehicle&#39;s LATCH system  28 . In this example, an ISOFIX type tray  30  may be provided to support the seat body  12  and base  14 . The ISOFIX tray  30  includes the required anchor members  32  for securely interconnecting to the metal loops  28  of a vehicle&#39;s LATCH system. Thus, the seat body  12 , base  14  and ISOFIX tray  30  can be collectively installed and removed from attachment to a vehicle&#39;s LATCH system  28 . Of course, it is possible (although not shown) that lower anchor couplings  32  may be connected directly to the base  14  for interconnection to the vehicle&#39;s LATCH loops  28 . The use of a supporting tray  30  is more convenient, also helps prevent damage to the vehicle seat  26  and can help with further adjustment by use of a height adjustment post  34 . If desired, the seat body  12  and base  14  can be integrated into the construction of the ISOFIX tray  30  to provide a completely unitary construction. 
         [0041]      FIG. 2  shows a rear perspective view of the child safety seat  10  of the present invention with the vehicle seat  26  removed for illustrating purposes. In this view, along with  FIGS. 3 and 4 , details of the sliding track system of the present invention is shown. More specifically, transverse pins  36  are mounted to an upper portion of the base  14  using a bracket  38  and is configured to slidably reside in a slot  40  in a flange  42  mounted on the back of the seat body  12 . A bottom portion  52  of the base  14  includes a slot  44  to receive outwardly emanating pins  46 A and  46 B from the sides of a sliding carriage  48  that resides in the seat bottom  16  of the seat body  12 . Preferably, the foregoing top and bottom sliding interconnections are provided on both sides of the seat body  12  and base to provide evenly distributed and balanced sliding of the seat body  12  relative to the base  14 . The sliding interconnections at the top and bottom of the seat body  12  and base define the extent of relative travel of the seat body  12  relative to the base  14 . 
         [0042]      FIGS. 5-13  illustrate the recline adjustment capability of the child safety seat  10  of the present invention.  FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the bottom portion  52  of the base  14  with the seat body  10  removed for illustration purposes. A sliding cassette member  48  is provided inside the bottom portion  52  of the base  14  to support the seat body  12 , namely, at the seat bottom  16 . As will be discussed in detail in connection with  FIGS. 8 and 10 , a cross-member tube  50  is attached to the seat bottom  16  of seat body  12  to adjustably connected to the sliding cassette member  48 . The cross-member tube  50  provides a bottom pivot point for the seat body  12  when moving relative to the base  14  and during ride down deceleration. 
         [0043]      FIG. 6  shows a partial fragmentary view where the sliding cassette  48  itself includes a slot  54  to receive a pawl pin  56 , as best seen in  FIG. 10 , to set the recline angle, namely the set angle of the seat body  12  relative to the base  12 . The free end of tube  50  slides in slot  54 . Therefore, the pawl pin  56  is set to a desired fixed location in one of the teeth  58  in the the cassette  48  to set the recline angle while the movement of the pins  46 A and  46 B of the cassette  48  in the slot  44  of the lower portion  52  of the base  14  define the travel of the ride down of the seat  10  in the case of an accident. Further details of adjustment of the pawl pin  56  will be discussed below. 
         [0044]    As will be described in connection with  FIG. 8 , a ride down dampening material  60  is connected between the base  14  and the carriage  48 , which is connected to the seat bottom  16 , to effectuate dampened ride down deceleration.  FIG. 7  is a further view of the base  14  with its housing removed for illustration purposes. Thus, the cassette  48  includes its own set of pins  46 A and  46 B to define travel of the seat  10  during ride down while the cassette slot  54  defines the extent of recline adjustment of the seat  10 . Both of these functions are unique carried out by the present invention in a single device. 
         [0045]      FIG. 8  is an opposite perspective view using a cross-section through the line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1  that generally shows the relative locations of the cassette  48  and how its pins  46 A and  46 B travel in a slot  44  in the lower portion  52  of the base  14 . The extent of travel of the cassette  48  for ride down is defined by distance “A” while the extent of the distance of travel of the pawl pin  56 , as best seen in  FIG. 10 , within the cassette slot  44  to define extent of recline adjustment is defined by distance “B”. Distances A and B can be any distance but are preferably the same, such as 90 mm.  FIG. 8  further shows the use of a dampening material  60  that is affixed to the bottom portion  52  of the base  14  at a first end and a to the cassette  48  at the other end.  FIG. 8  shows these parts as floating because of the nature of the partial cross-sectional view taken. It should be understood that the dampening ride down material  60  is securely connected to the base  14  at one end and securely connected to the cassette  48  at its opposing end. Further details of the construction of the dampening ride down material  60  will be discussed in connection with  FIGS. 16-18 . 
         [0046]    It is preferred that the recline adjustment of the seat body  12  relative to the base  14  be as easy as possible. In  FIG. 9 , a pull-tab  62  is provided on the free end of a pair of cables  64 , which are routed to respective cassette locking pawl members  56  on opposing sides of the seat body  12 . It should be noted that the cassette  48  is preferably the width of the seat bottom  16  so that pins  46 A and  46 B emanating therefrom on each side slide respectively within two slots  44  in the bottom portion  52  of the base  14 . The figures herein show one side of this construction but it should be understood that the opposing side is constructed in the same fashion and operates in the same way. 
         [0047]      FIG. 10  shows a close-up view of the locking pawl configuration for releasably engaging with a row of teeth  58  on the opposing lateral sides of the sliding cassette  48 . When at rest, the dampening ride down material  60  maintains the cassette  48  in a fully rearward position, as seen in  FIGS. 1-3 ,  5  and  6 , for example. A plate  66  with a pawl pin  56  is rotatingly spring-biased in a counterclockwise direction using spring  68  so that the pawl pin  56  on the pawl plate  66  resides in a selected tooth  58  on the edge of the cassette  48 . Pulling on the pull-tab  62  against the forces of the spring  68  causes the pawl plate  66  to rotate in a clockwise direction to cause the pawl pin  56  to lift out of a selected tooth  58  so that the seat bottom  16 , via its cross-member tube  50 , can slide within the cassette slot  54 . Thus, when the pull-tab  62  is being pulled, the seat body  12  can be pulled or pushed within the range of travel in the cassette slot  54  to a desired recline angle of the entire seat body relative to the base. When the desired location is reached, the pull-tab  62  is simply released and the pawl pin  56 , with the forces of the spring  68 , engages with the closest tooth  58  to set the recline angle of the seat body  10  relative to the base  14 . 
         [0048]    As the seat body  12  reclines further, the more pin  36  slides upwardly along the slot  40 . The free ends of the cross-member tube  50  also track within slot  54  to control movement of the seat in two locations. It should be noted that movement of the pin  36  in the slot  40  at the top of the seat and the free ends of tubes  50  within its slot  54  and movement of pins  46 A and  46 B in slot  44  are linear in nature not curved. This ensures smooth and controlled movement of the seat body  12 . 
         [0049]      FIGS. 11-13  show examples of the range of adjustment of the recline angle of the seat body  12 . The most upright recline position is seen in  FIG. 11 , which would correspond to the leftmost tooth  58  in  FIG. 8 , for example. It is also noted that the pin  36  mounted to the upper portion of the base  14 , that engages with the slot  40  at the rear of the seat back  18 , is located at the bottom of that slot  40 .  FIG. 12  shows a middle recline position where the pull tab  62  has been pulled and the seat bottom  16  adjusted so that the pawl pin  56  engages, for example, the third or fourth tooth  58  from the left, as seen in  FIG. 8 . When the pull-tab  62  is released at this middle location, the seat body  12  will be set at such a middle recline angle. As can be seen at the top of the seat body  12  and upper portion of the base  14 , the pin  36  resides in a more middle location in the slot  40  at the top of the seat body  12 . Still further,  FIG. 13  shows a maximum recline position where the pawl pin  56  is engaged with the rightmost tooth  58 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Thus, the cross-member tube  50  can travel a distance B within the cassette slot  54 . It should be noted that the pin  36  at the top of the seat back slot  40  is not at the end of the opposite end of the slot  40  because the slot  40  must still accommodate for even further travel of the pin  36  in the top slot  40  in the case of ride down deceleration. 
         [0050]    As far as the location of cassette  48 , it should be noted that in the maximum recline position of  FIG. 13 , the distance A for travel of the cassette  48  has not yet be effectuated because the cassette  48  only travels when ride down deceleration occurs in the case of an accident. Therefore, the present invention provides additional travel distance in the lower slot  44  in the base  14  and the upper slot  40  on the seat back  18  to accommodate for potential further ride down travel of the seat body  12 . 
         [0051]    The sliding cassette  48  is spring-biased in a rearward direction by the ride down element, which is; preferably a partially oriented yarn (POY)  60  but it can be other types of spring-biasing material. The ride down element  60  is shown in  FIG. 8 , as installed and also in  FIGS. 16 and 17  representationally. When at rest and not in an accident force-inducing environment, the sliding cassette  48  is located at the position seen in  FIG. 11  or  FIG. 13  or some point therebetween, such as in  FIG. 12 . Once of these positions is during normal use of the child car seat  10  of the present invention. 
         [0052]    The ride down element  60  maintains the cassette  48  in a rearward position. The base  14  is fixed to the vehicle  26 , such as by the LATCH system  28  discussed above. When a forward force is exerted on the seat  12 , the base  14  remains fixed to the vehicle. If the force exerted exceeds the force of the ride down element  60 , the sliding cassette  48  will begin to slide forward against the forces of the ride down element  60 , as can be seen in  FIG. 14 . At this point, it should be noted that the pawl pins  56 , as previous set, still remain in the desired tooth on either side of the seat for the desired recline angle. For this example, the seat body  12  is shown in its maximum recline position, as in  FIG. 13  and then going into ride down deceleration. Maximum ride down is shown in  FIG. 15  where the sliding cassette  48  has moved completely forward in the amount of distance A, as seen in  FIG. 8 . At this point, the pin  36  in the slot  40  at the top of seat back  18  is at its rightmost position, namely at the top location of the slot  40 . 
         [0053]    Most importantly, the location of the slots and pins and the movement of the cassette  48 , namely during ride down deceleration, the child&#39;s legs move forward, not their head, in such a force-inducing accident situation. This can be easily seen in  FIG. 15 . The present invention is unique due to this dynamic positioning of the child  70  in this situation. This is a significant advance over the prior art where load dampeners are provided at the belt harnesses or where the top of the seat is dampened and the seat pivots forward with the child&#39;s head thereby pivoting forward as well. 
         [0054]    The ride down element  60  is a critical part of the present invention in that it controls the ride down deceleration. This element  60  can be in many different forms. For example, it can be a spring-like member (such as a coil spring or other configuration) that returns to its original position. In that case, after an accident, the seat body  12  would move back to its present reclined angle that it was set at before the accident. 
         [0055]    However, it is preferred that the ride down element  60  be a load dampener or load limiter with a particular deceleration profile. It is preferred that such a ride down element  60  be partially oriented yarn (POY), as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . The performance of such POY for load dampening and ride down is shown in the graph of  FIG. 18 . The POY material  60  is depicted in  FIG. 16  in an at rest condition while  FIG. 17  shows the POY material  60  in a stretched under-load condition. This material  60  can be selected to finely tune the ride down profile of a given seat  10  or even weight of the child  70 . Such a material  60  may be a one-time use material where it would need to be replaced after a single traumatic use past a certain degree of extension. The advantages of such a ride down child car seat  10  is shown in the graph of  FIG. 18 . As can be seen in this example, a portion of the graph is, essentially, flat to indicate that the POY material  60  extends greatly after a certain load is reached. This is more desirable than a constant slope curve where the cassette  48  would also be moving. Instead, the POY profile of  FIG. 18  shows the desirably condition where, essentially, a threshold load will need to be met before there will be any appreciable movement of the cassette  48  to effectuate ride down deceleration. 
         [0056]    Control of the forward movement of the seat body  12  is the focus of the present invention while sill being able to provide recline angle adjustment of the overall child car seat  10 . The present invention can use any type of material  60  as a load dampener to effectuate the ride down capability of the present invention while also providing the ability to adjust the recline angle of the child car seat  10 . 
         [0057]    It should also be noted that any of the components of the seat of the present invention may be made out of any suitable material, such as plastic and metal. These components may be molded, cast or otherwise formed to achieve the required configuration and shape. 
         [0058]    It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.