Abstract:
Infant car seat assemblies suitable for functioning as both a car seat and a stroller and capable of functioning with a wide variety of commercially available car seats. The infant car seat assembly for providing mobility to an infant car seat includes at least two hubs, a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs secured to the hubs at uppermost extents thereof and having at least two wheel assemblies secured to lowermost extents thereof, and at least two adapters configured to releaseably secure the hubs to the infant car seat.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/655,711, filed Jun. 5, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to child safety devices. More particularly, this invention relates to infant car seats capable of functioning as strollers. 
     Child car seats are required by law in every state in the United States. While specific laws regarding age and weight requirements vary from state to state, most states require infants younger than one to be restrained in a rear-facing infant car seat. Children this young are generally unable to walk or stand, and as such are typically carried in a stroller when they are taken out for any extended duration. As a result, parents and care givers of infants, in order to transport their infant, often must first place the infant in an infant car seat while driving, then place them in a stroller upon leaving the car. This creates the need for both a stroller and a car seat, two devices which fill similar but distinct roles. 
     To address the above, various combination car seat-stroller designs have been proposed. However, such designs can compromise the ability of the device to safely function as a car seat, or may be impractical to use. Other proposed designs include attachments for infant car seats that enable a car seat to function as a stroller. Such devices can be limited for use with specially configured car seats or may need to be removed before the car seat can be replaced in the car. 
     In view of the above, it can be appreciated that there are certain problems, shortcomings or disadvantages associated with the prior art, and that it would be desirable if an improved infant car seat were available that was capable of functioning as both a car seat and a stroller, and was also capable of functioning with a wide variety of commercially available car seats. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides infant car seat assemblies suitable for functioning as both a car seat and a stroller and capable of functioning with a wide variety of commercially available car seats. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, an infant car seat assembly for providing mobility to an infant car seat includes at least two hubs, a pair of front legs secured to the hubs at uppermost extents thereof and having at least two wheel assemblies secured to lowermost extents thereof, a pair of rear legs secured to the hubs at uppermost extents thereof and having at least two wheel assemblies secured to lowermost extents thereof, and at least two adapters configured to releaseably secure the hubs to the infant car seat. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, an infant car seat assembly for providing mobility to an infant car seat includes at least two hubs, a pair of front legs secured to the hubs at uppermost extents thereof and having at least two wheel assemblies secured to lowermost extents thereof, and a pair of rear legs secured to the hubs at uppermost extents thereof and having at least two wheel assemblies secured to lowermost extents thereof. The infant car seat assembly is adapted to secure to the infant car seat and the infant car seat can function in a vehicle without detaching the infant car seat assembly from the infant car seat. 
     A technical effect of the invention is the ability of an infant car seat assembly to function as both a car seat and a stroller. In particular, it is believed that providing an assembly adapted to be secured to a commercially available car seat allows one to utilize the car seat and the assembly as a stroller. 
     Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1-3  are front perspective, back perspective, and side views representing a car seat secured to a car seat assembly in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  represents side and perspective views of an adapter securing a hub of a car seat assembly to a car seat assembly in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view representing a car seat secured to an adapter in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view representing a strap and a clip of the adapter of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  includes perspective views representing various embodiments of legs of a car seat assembly in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 8-11  represent interior views of hubs of the car seat assembly of  FIGS. 1-3  and show legs of the car seat assembly in a locked expanded position, an unlocked partially expanded position, a locked collapsed position, and an unlocked collapsed position, respectively. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view with partial cutaways showing interior portions of the legs of the car seat assembly of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIGS. 13A-13C  represent steps carried out for assembling the car seat assembly and car seat of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIGS. 14 and 15  are side views representing a car seat secured to a car seat assembly in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-3  represent an infant car seat assembly  30  secured to a representative car seat  10  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The assembly  30  is intended to be a simple device which can be either added on to an infant car seat, or built into and manufactured with an infant car seat. Generally, the apparatus will allow an infant car seat to function as an infant stroller. The assembly  30  may be used with any type car seat known in the art. The car seat  30  is represented as comprising a seat  12  on a base  16  including a rotating handle  14  rotatably secured to the car seat  10  at end portions  15  of the handle  14 . To facilitate the description of the car seat frame assembly  30  provided below, the terms “vertical,” “horizontal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “forward,” “rearward,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “right,” “left,” etc., will be used in reference to the perspective of an infant seated in an attached car seat, wherein “front” refers to a leg rest end  18  of the car seat  10  and “rear” refers to a head rest end  20  of the car seat  10 , and therefore are relative terms that indicate the construction, installation and use of the invention and therefore help to define the scope of the invention. 
     The assembly  30  comprises two hubs  34  and a pair of front legs  35  and a pair of rear legs  36  each secured to the hubs  34  at uppermost extents of each of the front and rear legs  35  and  36 . The pair of front legs  35  and the pair of rear legs  36  each include at least two wheel assemblies  44  located at or adjacent lowermost extents of the front and rear legs  35  and  36 . Two adapters  32  adapted to mate with the hubs  34  are utilized to releaseably secure the assembly  30  to the car seat  10 . Each of the adapters  32  may be releaseably or permanently secured to the car seat  10  by any means known in the art. The adapters  32  are represented as partially encasing and securing to an edge  22  of the car seat  10  at a region below or adjacent to a lowermost extent (end portions  15 ) of the handle  14 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , each adapter  32  includes a strap  40  secured to the adapters  32  on a first side of the handle  14  near the lowermost extent thereof. The strap  40  wraps around an interior side of the handle  14 , and is releasably secured to the adapter  32  with a clip  38  on a second side of the handle  14 . The clip  38  includes a button  42  for releasing the strap  40  from the second side of the adapter  32 . The adapter  32  includes a male mating portion  60 , represented in  FIG. 5 , sized and configured to releaseably mate with a corresponding female mating portion  59  located on the hubs  34 . Although the coupling of the adapters  32  and the hubs  34  are represented as previously described, any means of coupling the adapters  32  and hubs  34  known in the art may be utilized and therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the coupling means described herein and represented in the figures. 
     Preferably, the front and rear legs  35  and  36  are adapted to collapse and expand by rotating or pivoting at least one of the front or rear legs  35  and  36  about an axis between the uppermost extents of the front or rear legs  35  and  36  as represented in  FIGS. 13A-13C . This configuration provides the assembly  30  with the capability to be in at least either a first position and a second position. The first position having the lowermost extents of the pair of front legs  35  at a minimum distance from the lowermost extents of the pair of rear legs  36  (collapsed) and the second position having the lowermost extents of the pair of front legs  35  at a maximum distance from the lowermost extents of the pair of rear legs  36  (expanded). The front and rear legs  35  and  36  are represented as expanded and collapsed in  FIG. 13A . When deployed, the leg assemblies extend below the car seat, allowing the car seat to function as a stroller. The front and rear legs  35  and  36  may be formed in any configuration known in the art that provides the car seat  10  and the assembly  30  to be in an upright and stable position when the front and rear legs  35  and  36  are in an expanded position. For example,  FIGS. 1-3 , and  7  represent the front legs  35  and the rear legs  36  as each being formed of two upper leg portions  48  and a single U-shaped lower leg portion  50  including a crossbar  46  connecting upper ends of the U-shaped lower leg portion  50 . 
     The front legs  35  and the rear legs  36  preferably telescope providing adjustment of the elevation of the car seat  10  above ground level. Therefore, the upper portions  48  are represented as being sized and configured to be inserted into the lower leg portion  50  providing the capability for retracting the upper leg portions  48  within the lower leg portions  50 . The relative retracted position of the upper leg portions  48  within the lower leg portions  50  may be secured with pins  52  sized to protrude through holes formed along vertical portions of the low leg portions  49 . Stated another way, the pair of front legs  35  and the pair of rear legs  36  are configured to retract to a minimum length and to expand to a maximum length and the length of the pair of front legs  35  and the pair of rear legs  36  are configured to be lockable at least at the maximum length. An alternative embodiment of the front and rear legs  35  and  36  is represented in  FIG. 7  wherein the lower leg portions  50  are formed in an H-shape comprising two vertical portions and two crossbars  46  rather than the previously described U-shape. Wheel assemblies  44  are positioned adjacent at lower most and preferably outermost extents of the lower leg portions  50  to provide stable mobility and allow the car seat  10  and assembly  30  to function as a stroller. 
     As previously stated, the hubs  34  of the assembly  30  are adapted to secure and position front and rear legs  35  and  36  and further adapted to be secured to the car seat  10  with the adapters  32 . The hubs  34  include the previously described female mating portion  60 , means for locking and releasing the male mating portion  59  of the adapter  32 , means for rotating and securing at least one of the front legs  35  and rear legs  36 , and means for controlling the retraction and extension of the front legs  35  and rear legs  36 , all within a housing  62 . 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hubs  34  are represented in  FIGS. 8-11  as comprising an adapter release button  54 , a telescope release button  56 , and a leg lock release button  58 . Upon insertion of the male mating portion  60  of the adapter  32  into the female mating portion  59  of the hub  34 , the male mating portion  60  preferably is locked or secured with a tab, bar and/or locking pin  76  that is inserted into a cavity  78  (represented in  FIG. 5 ) formed on the male mating portion  59  of the adapter  32 . The locking pin  76  is preferably beveled to allow the male mating portion  60  to be inserted without pressing the adapter release button  54 . By pressing the adapter release button  54  downward, the locking pin  76  is preferably forced from the cavity  78  releasing the male mating portion  60 . 
     The telescope release button  56  is connected to wires  66  that couple the telescope release button  56  with internal leg height lock mechanisms  68  (represented in  FIG. 12 ) comprising the pins  52 . By pressing the telescope release button  56  upward, the wires  66  act upon the lock mechanisms  68  to retract the pins  52  into an internal cavity of the lower leg portions  50  allowing the upper leg portions  48  to retract within the lower leg portions  50 . 
     The leg lock release button  58  includes a rotation locking member  70  having a vertical portion  82  and a curved portion  84 . The front legs  35  are adapted to pivot about an axis of an axle member  72  to switch between an expanded position and a collapsed position. In the expanded position, a locking nub  74  secured to the axle member  72  is secured between the vertical portion  82  of the locking member  70  and a brace  64  of the housing  62  thereby locking and securing the position of the front legs  35 , as represented in  FIG. 8 . By pressing the leg lock release button  58  upwards, the locking nub  74  is released and rotatably slides along the curved portion  84  of the locking member  70  until meeting the rear legs  36  in the a locked collapsed position, represented in  FIG. 10 . 
     In operation, the adapters  32  are preferably kept attached to the car seat  10  with the straps  40  to provide easy transition between car seat and stroller functions. To transition to function as a stroller, the telescope release button  56  may be pressed to extend the telescoping front and rear legs  35  and  36  as represented in  FIG. 13A . The leg lock release button  58  may then be pressed to pivot and reposition the front and rear legs  35  and  36  from the collapsed position to the locked expanded position, as represented in  FIG. 13B . The car seat  10  may then be lowered onto the assembly  30  securing the adapters  32  into the hubs  34 , as represented in  FIG. 13C . The weight of the car seat  10  rests on the adapters  32  and is supported by the assembly  30 . One may then operate the car seat  10  and assembly  30  as a stroller by pushing on the handle  14  of the car seat  10 . To transition to function as a car seat, the adapter release button  54  is pushed to release the car seat  10  from the hub  34  and the car seat  10  with the attached adapters  32  may be placed in the vehicle. The telescope release button  56  and the leg lock release button  58  may be pressed to retract the telescoping front and rear legs  35  and  36  and pivot and reposition the front and rear legs  35  and  36  from the extended and expanded position to the retracted and collapsed position for storage in the vehicle. 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  represent a second embodiment of the present invention. As represented, the car seat frame assembly  130  comprise substantially similar components to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-13  including the hub  34 , front legs  35 , rear legs  36 , and wheel assemblies  44 . The assembly  130  is adapted to allow the car seat to be inserted into the vehicle and utilized as the car seat  10  without removing the assembly  130  from the car seat  10 . Consequently, the adapters  32  are an optional feature of this embodiment. If the adapters  32  are omitted, the hubs  34  may be adapted to be releaseably or permanently secured to the car seat  10  by any known means including those described for the adapters  32  in  FIGS. 1-13 . In addition, the assembly  130  is represented in  FIG. 14  as comprising an optional collapsible bar  86  further supporting the assembly  130  by connecting the front legs  35  to the rear legs  36 . 
     In contrast to the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-13 , both the front legs  35  and the rear legs  36  of the assembly  130  are adapted to pivot in unison within the hub  34  about uppermost extents of the front legs  35  and the rear legs  36 , respectively. Preferably, the leg lock release button  58  is adapted to simultaneously release both the front legs  35  and the rear legs  36  allowing them to pivot in unison. Preferably, the front and rear legs  35  and  36  may be positioned in either an expanded position with the front and rear legs  35  and  36  extended, as represented in  FIG. 14  and similar to that of  FIGS. 1-3 , or a collapsed position with the front and rear legs  35  and  36  retracted as represented in  FIG. 15 . By positioning the assembly  130  in a locked and collapsed position above the lowermost extent of the base  16  of the car seat  10 , the car seat  10  may be used for its intended purpose in a vehicle without requiring the removal of the assembly  130 . In operation, the assembly  130  performs in a substantially similar manner as described above for assembly  30 , but without the steps of securing and/or releasing the assembly  130  when switching between car seat and stroller functions. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the physical configuration of the front and rear legs  35  and  36 , adapter  32 , and hub  34  could differ from that shown. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.