Abstract:
A child safety seat comprising a base placeable on and securable to a vehicle seat and a seat element releasably engageable with the base. The base has an inclination adjustor which is selectively adjustable in at least two different positions relative to a base body in order to adjust the inclination of the base with respect to the vehicle seat. The adjustor includes a locking mechanism for locking the adjustor in a selected adjustment position and for releasing the adjustor in order to allow for selection of another adjustment position. An actuator operates the locking mechanism to lock or release the adjustor. The actuator is positioned on the base so that the actuator is covered by the lower surface of the seat element when the latter is fixed to the base. The actuator therefore cannot be accessed without unlocking and separating the seat element from the base.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to child safety seats for use in vehicles. 
         [0003]    2. Background Information 
         [0004]    It is well-known that transporting children, in particular toddlers or babies, in vehicles is hazardous in the event of an accident. While adults are sufficiently protected by the seatbelts provided in vehicles and, in case of modern vehicles, also by airbags and other safety assistance systems, the existing safety systems installed in vehicles are not designed to sufficiently protect younger people with smaller body sizes such as children, in particular toddlers or babies. So, it is common and in most countries prescribed by law to use child safety seats when transporting children, in particular toddlers or babies, in a vehicle. There is a large variety of child safety seats available on the market with particular designs adapted to particular age groups of children starting with seats for babies (age class 0 and 0 + ) to seats for children in the preschool ages (seats for age class 2). 
         [0005]    Modern child safety seats for use in vehicles are often comprised of a base or base element and a seat element or seat shell. The base is designed to be placed on a vehicle seat and fixed to the vehicle seat by of a seat belt of the vehicle. The seat element or seat shell may releasably be coupled and fixed to the base and features the seat surface which receives the child in a seating or lying position. The seat surface is comprised of the seat area for receiving the rear and the upper legs of the child and a backrest supporting the child&#39;s back and, if combined with a headrest, the child&#39;s head. 
         [0006]    In this regard it is known that vehicle seats are different in their shapes and forms, particularly regarding the seat surface which inclines (or reclines) at different angles, usually reclining from a first free end towards the back rest of the vehicle seat at a certain sloping angle. Depending upon the vehicle manufacturer and the model of the vehicle, the sloping angles of the vehicle seats will differ. The base, however, which has to be placed on the seat and fixed to the same by of the vehicle seatbelt, needs to be arranged in a defined orientation with regard to a horizontal reference line. This defined orientation is essential for a safe and reliable connection and securement between the base and the vehicle seat. Consequently, for known child safety seats the respective bases feature inclination adjustor which allow for adjusting the base in order to adapt the base to a given sloping angle of the vehicle seat surface. Such inclination adjustor may contain support struts or similar support elements that may be adjusted at different positions with respect to a base body. These support struts or other elements then typically rest against the reclining section of the seat surface of the vehicle seat bridging the distance between a lower surface of the base body and the seat surface of the vehicle seat in a declined area. In order to facilitate correct adjustment, such base elements often feature level indicators which by suitable means, for example by of optical indication, indicate to the user when he or she has achieved the correct adjustment of the inclination-adjustor in a way that suitably levels the base so that the base may be securely placed on and fixed to the vehicle seat by of the vehicle seatbelt. 
         [0007]    In this orientation the base is then fastened and fixed to the vehicle seat by connecting the vehicle seatbelt to a belt receptacle provided on the base. After that, the seat element or seat shell is connected to the base by interlocking a first connector provided on the base with a second connector provided on the seat element. When the first and second connectors are brought together in the correct manner, they releasably lock the seat element to the base, thus firmly keeping the seat element fixed to the base and thus keeping the seat element safely fixed to the vehicle seat. 
         [0008]    For known child seats of that type, however, the inclination-adjustor contain manipulation actuators, for example levers, which are accessible from the outside, for example a side face, of the base even in a situation where the seat element is firmly connected to the base. This is a dangerous situation because it presents the possibility of the unintended manipulation of the actuator. For example, if another child is placed in the seat adjacent the child sitting in the child safety seat featuring the inclination-adjustor, and this other child plays around with such lever actuator, they may accidentally adjust the base inclination. This could lead to a loss of safe connection and fixation of the base and hence of the child safety seat to the vehicle seat. In case of an accident this might lead to a loss of protection of the child by the child safety seat and hence to severe injuries to the child. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    Consequently, there is a need in the art to provide a child safety seat which eliminates the drawbacks observed in the prior art. This need is addressed by the child safety seat according to an aspect of the present invention. In another aspect this need is addressed by a base for a child safety seat according to an aspect the present invention. 
         [0010]    In a first aspect the invention provides a child safety seat for use in a vehicle which child safety seat comprises:
       a base adapted to be placed on and secured to a vehicle seat, said base comprising a base body;   a seat element having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface of the seat element defining a seat area and a backrest;   the seat element further having a first connector provided thereon;   the base having a second connector for lockably interacting with the first connector when the seat element is placed in a receiving position on the base with the lower surface of the seat element facing the base in order to releasably attach the seat element to the base;   the base further having an inclination-adjustor connected to the base body and being selectively adjustable in at least two different adjustment positions relative to the base body for adjusting the inclination of the base with respect to a surface of a vehicle seat the base is placed on;   the inclination-adjustor comprising a locking mechanism for locking the adjustor in a selected adjustment position and for releasing the adjustor in order to allow for selecting another adjustment position;   wherein the locking mechanism comprises an actuator for operating the locking mechanism to lock or release the adjustor and wherein the actuator is placed on the base in a position that is covered by the lower surface of the seat element when the latter is fixed to the base in such a way that the actuator cannot be accessed by a user without unlocking the first and second connectors and separating the seat element from the base.       
 
         [0018]    In another aspect the base of the child safety seat according to the invention contains a belt receiver adapted to receive a vehicle seatbelt in order to secure the base to the vehicle seat whereby the belt receiver comprises a belt clamping element for clampingly fixing the seatbelt to the receiver, wherein said belt clamping element is movable between a clamping position, in which the belt clamping element clampingly fixes the seatbelt fed into the belt receiver, and an open position, in which the belt clamping element releases the seatbelt, wherein the belt clamping element further constitutes the actuator of the locking means. 
         [0019]    In another aspect the invention provides a base for a child safety seat adapted to be placed on and secured to a vehicle seat and for interlockingly receiving a seat element, said base having
       a base body;   an inclination-adjustor connected to the base body and being selectively adjustable to at least two different adjustment positions relative to the base body for adjusting the inclination of the base with respect to a seat surface of a vehicle seat that the base is placed on;   an upper surface for receiving the seat element with a lower surface thereof resting against said upper surface; and   a connector for connecting to a seat element being received on the base;   the inclination-adjustor comprising a locking mechanism for locking the adjustor in the selected adjustment position and for releasing the adjustor in order to allow for selecting another adjustment position;   wherein the locking mechanism comprises an actuator for operating the locking mechanism to lock or release the adjustor and wherein the actuator is placed on the upper surface of the base.       
 
         [0026]    Further aspects and advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the attached claims and will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and referring to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0027]    In the drawings: 
           [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of a child safety seat according to an embodiment of the invention with a base and a seat element connected and locked together; 
           [0029]      FIG. 1   a  shows a sectional side view of the child safety seat according to  FIG. 1  and depicts a connector which releasably locks the seat element to the base; 
           [0030]      FIG. 1   b  shows a schematic exploded view of the connecting mechanism for releasably locking and connecting the seat element and the base of the child safety seat according to  FIGS. 1 and 1   a;    
           [0031]      FIG. 2  shows an elevated side view of the child safety seat according to  FIGS. 1 and 1   a  seen from the back rest of the seat element (with the handle not shown); 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is an elevated side view of the base shown from the same viewing angle as the one of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the base according to  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the base according to  FIGS. 3 and 4 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  is an elevated side view of the inclination adjustment element of the base; 
           [0036]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged sectional side view of part of the base showing the assembly of the locking mechanism for locking the inclination-adjustor in a completely locked configuration and with the inclination-adjustor being in a first inclination position; 
           [0037]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with the first step of unlocking the locking mechanism being performed; 
           [0038]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with another step for unlocking the locking mechanism being performed; 
           [0039]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with the locking mechanism for the inclination-adjustor finally unlocked for repositioning the inclination-adjustor to another, second inclination position; 
           [0040]      FIG. 11  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with the inclination-adjustor being adjusted to another, second inclination setting and the locking mechanism not yet in the final locking position; 
           [0041]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with the locking mechanism of the inclination-adjustor being in an intermediate step during locking again; 
           [0042]      FIG. 13  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with the locking mechanism being brought back to the locking state; 
           [0043]      FIG. 13   a  is an enlarged sectional side view of a detail of  FIG. 13  two abutment faces cooperating and blocking a locking lever element of the locking mechanism in the locking position; and 
           [0044]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged sectional side view of the part of the base shown in  FIG. 7  with a securing being put back into a securing position for securing the locking mechanism of the inclination-adjustor in the locking position with the inclination-adjustor being set to the second inclination position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0045]    With reference to the Figures which are to be seen as schematic representations only, an exemplary embodiment of the child safety seat according to the invention is disclosed and described in the following. However, the following description of the embodiment shall not be meant limiting the scope of protection which is defined by the appended claims. Particularly, many alternatives and alterations to the presented embodiment will be apparent to a person skilled in the art which also make use of the inventive principles and are covered by the broad scope of the invention as claimed. 
         [0046]    In  FIG. 1 , a child safety seat is designated with the reference numeral  1 . The child safety seat  1  is generally comprised of a base  2  and a seat element  3  which is shown being set on top of the base  2  and firmly fixed to base  2 . The seat element  3  in this embodiment is designed for receiving particular young children, namely babies or toddlers, and designates the child safety seat  1  to be one of class 0/0 + . Needless to mention that the child safety seat according to the invention might comprise a different seat element being adapted and designed for children of older age, for example a class 1 or class 2 seat. In fact, the child safety seat  1  as shown may be modified to such a child safety seat of different age class by simply keeping the base  2  as it is and merely connecting and locking a different seat element to the given base  2 . This kind of flexible opportunity to modify the child safety seat  1  while keeping the same base  2  will be advantageous in that parents of a child will first use the seat element  3  as shown in the Figure when a child is a newborn, baby or toddler and then keep the base  2 , replacing only the seat element so as to modify the child safety seat in as the child gets older and grows in size. 
         [0047]    The seat element  3  comprises a seat surface  4  being the upper surface of the seat element  3  and a lower surface  5  which faces the base  2 . The seat surface  4  contains a seat area  6  and a backrest  7 , the seat area  6  being designed to receive the child&#39;s bottom and legs, the backrest  7  supporting the child&#39;s back and including a headrest to support the child&#39;s head. 
         [0048]    A handle  53  is rotatably connected to the seat element  3  via hinge connection  54 . This handle  53  may be moved from a stored position as shown in  FIG. 1  to an activated position where the handle rests atop of the seat element  3  and can be grasped for holding and carrying the seat element  3 . Such handles  53  and their connection via respective hinge connections  54  as well as their mode of operation are well known in the art and need not to be described in further detail. 
         [0049]    The seat element  3  is releasably and interlockingly connected to the base  2  by of a connecting mechanism which comprises a first connector formed on the seat element  3  and a second connector on the base  2 . This is shown in further detail in  FIG. 1   a.    
         [0050]      FIG. 1   a  shows a sectional side view of the child safety seat  1  depicted in  FIG. 1 . This  FIG. 1   a  is included in order to show the connecting mechanism comprising the first and second connectors. The connecting mechanism includes hook elements  11  and receptacles  61  as the second connector on the base  2  as well as locking pins  55  and locking bolts  56  as first connector. The locking pins  55  and locking bolts  56  are parts of the seat element  3  while hook elements  11  and receptacles  61  form part of and belong to the base  2 . In the situation shown in  FIG. 1   a  the seat element  3  is releasably connected with and locked to the base  2 . In this situation, the lower surface  5  of the seat element  3  fits into and rests in receptacle space  8  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the base  2 . The locking pins  55 , being part of the seat element  3 , are caught by the hook elements  11 , while the locking bolts  56  stay inserted into and engage receptacles  61  in the base  3 . A release lever  12  is shown which serves for releasing the connecting mechanism. When release lever  12  is pulled, this action will act on and into connecting rods  57  which will be pulled towards the lever  12 , i.e. to the upper right in  FIG. 1   a.  The connecting rods  57  act on lever assemblies  58  which transfer the motion action to horizontal rods  59  which will in return be displaced to the left side in  FIG. 1   a.  This displacement of horizontal rods  59  leads to a withdrawing movement of locking bolts  56  which are formed at the respective free ends of horizontal rods  59  shown on the right in  FIG. 1   a.  By this, locking bolts  56  disengage receptacles  61  and release the connection between the seat element  3  and base  2  at that site. Further, horizontal rods  59  with respective abutment faces  60  formed at the opposite free ends thereof, shown at the left in  FIG. 1   a,  abut hook elements  11 , forcing these hook elements to move counter-clockwise and release the locking pins  55 , thereby releasing the interlocking connection between seat element  3  and base  2  at this site. So, by this action, seat element  3  can be separated from the base  2 , taken off the base  2  and carried away and used separately. When the release lever  12  is let go, due to spring forces applied by spring elements (not shown) the horizontal rods  59  will be displaced to the right in  FIG. 1   a  again, moving locking bolts  56  back to their protruding positions within which, when the seat element  3  is set into the base  2  again, the locking bolts  56  protrude into the receptacles  61 . When the release lever  12  is let go, this will further release the hook elements  11 . Driven by further spring elements  19  (see  FIGS. 1   b  and  5 ) the hook elements  11  will return to their initial positions, i.e., o the catching positions, in which they will catch and lock the locking pins  55 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 1   b  shows an exploded three-dimensional view of the connecting mechanism showing its most relevant elements. In particular, it is shown that the connecting each are present twofold, i.e. two locking bolts  56 , two hook elements  11 , two locking pins  55  (and also two receptacles  61 , not shown is here). Further, the spring elements  19  biasing the hook elements  11  into their respective catching positions are shown. Finally, one may see that the hook elements  11  are fixedly connected to a common axis  18  together with which the hook elements  11  may rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise in order to catch or release the locking pins  55 . 
         [0052]    The child safety seat  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 1   a  is shown in  FIG. 2  in another view; while  FIG. 1  shows a side view,  FIG. 2  represents an elevated three-dimensional view. 
         [0053]      FIG. 3  represents the base  2  of the child safety seat  1  depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in a three-dimensional elevated view.  FIG. 4  represents the base  2  of  FIG. 3  in a top view. In these Figures a receptacle space  8  is shown with a curved ground wall  9  and limiting sidewalls  10 . Further, the two hook elements  11  are shown (best seen in  FIG. 3 ). The hook elements  11  form part of the first connector of the base  2  as already described and are movable in order to move back and forth and can be moved bending back by the release mechanism as described above. The hook elements  11  are operated all by the release lever  12  in order to catch or release the locking pins  55  (see  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b ) which are part of the seat element  3 , being part of the second connector thereof. With the locking pins  55  caught by the hook elements  11  and the locking bolts  56  engaging the receptacles  61 , the seat element  3  is firmly bound and fixed to the base  2 , as already described. Upon pulling the release lever  12 , the hook elements  11  will bend back in order to release the locking pins  55  as well as to withdraw the locking bolts  56  from the receptacles  61  and so to allow separating the seat element  3  from the base  2 . 
         [0054]    Further, there is a belt clamping mechanism generally designated with reference numeral  13  and comprising a belt clamping lever  14 . This belt clamping mechanism  13  serves for clampingly fixing a seatbelt of a vehicle to the base  2  and thereby securing the base  2  to the vehicle seat. 
         [0055]    The design and constructional details of the base  2  are visible in further detail in the exploded view shown in  FIG. 5 . There it is shown that the base  2  comprises a bottom plate part  15  and an upper housing member  16  which are interconnected. To the bottom plate part  15  there is attached a hook assembly  17  containing the two hook elements  11  which are fixedly connected to axis  18  and may hinge together with said axis  18  when the latter rotates. Spring elements  19  are provided to the hooks elements  11  which force the hook assembly  17  into a locking position with the hook elements  11  bent forward into a locking position in which the hook elements  11  will catch the locking pins  55 . The locking pins are part of the seat element and its connector, as already described previously. Connected to the same axis  18  there is an inclination adjustment element  20  which comprises at its bottom side an inclination adjustment plate  21 . With the axis  18  held in between axis receptacle elements  22  formed on the bottom plate part  15  and respective cut-outs  23  in the upper housing member  16 , it may rotate, allowing the inclination adjustment element  20  to be twisted and moved out of the bottom plate part  15  and into a position where the adjustment element  20  extends beyond and below the lower plane of the bottom plate part  15 . 
         [0056]    Firmly affixed to the inclination adjustment element  20  are connecting members  24  having a comb-like structure with a plurality of slots  25  formed therein. A locking lever element  26  includes at its lower end a locking element in the form of a locking rod or pin  27 . The free ends of the locking rod or pins  27  are formed and dimensioned to fit into any of the slots  25  provided in the connecting member  24 . The locking lever element  26  is fixed to another rotational axis  28  which rotational axis  28  is rotatably fixed to the upper housing member  16 . So the entire locking lever element  26  may rotate around the rotational axis  28 , thereby moving the locking rod  27  back and forth so as to move the latter into or out of a selected one of the slots  25  formed in the connecting members  24 . A compression spring  29  is connected to the locking lever element  26  and abuts with the free end (shown in  FIG. 5 ) of an abutment member in the upper housing member  16  (not shown) in order to exert a locking force onto the locking lever element  26 ; forcing the locking lever element  26  into a position in which the locking rod  27  rests in a pre-set pair of slots  25  in the connecting members  24 . 
         [0057]    Belt clamping lever  14  is rotatably mounted on the rotational axis  28 . Lever  14  also serves as an operation handle for operating the locking mechanism of the inclination-adjustor as will be described further on. 
         [0058]    Further shown in  FIG. 5  is a cradle like element  30  having a first end connected to the release button  12  and a second end connected to the hook assembly  17  in order to transfer a force and movement caused by pushing the release button  12  to the hook assembly  17 . The force moves the hook elements  11  backwards into the release position when the release button  12  is operated (pressed down). Further shown in  FIG. 5  is a belt receptacle part  31  which receives the vehicle seatbelt which the base  2  is to be fixed to. The belt receptacle part contains a securing clip  32  designed to interact with the free end of the belt clamping lever  14  to secure said lever  14  in position when firmly engaging the belt receptacle part  31  as will be further described below. 
         [0059]    In  FIG. 6  in an enlarged three-dimensional view there is shown the inclination adjustment element  20  containing the inclination adjustment plate  21  and the connecting members  24 . The connecting members have slots  25  formed therein to receive the locking rod  27  in different positions for adjusting different inclination positions of the inclination adjustment element  20 . 
         [0060]      FIGS. 7 to 14  show sectional side views through part of the base  2  depicting the relevant parts of the locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the inclination-adjustor in different relative positions. The figures are provided in order to explain the operation mode and the cooperation of the respective parts. 
         [0061]    In  FIG. 7  the locking mechanism  33  is shown in a position where the inclination adjustment element  20  lies in a completely retracted position within the body of the base  2 . The body is comprised of the bottom plate part  15  and the upper housing member  16  connected together. In this situation and with the relative positions of the members and elements forming part of the locking mechanism  33  shown, the inclination adjustment element  20  is firmly locked in a given first inclination position. As can be seen, the belt clamping lever  14  rests in a clamping position in which the belt clamping lever  14  is firmly pressed against the belt receptacle element  31  so as to clampingly fix the seatbelt introduced between these two elements (not shown here). The belt clamping lever  14  is further secured by the securing clip  32  which engages the free end of the belt clamping lever  14  and keeps the lever  14  down in the clamping position as shown. 
         [0062]    The retention spring  34  is set onto an axle pin  35  defining the axis of rotation of the belt clamping lever  14  and rests with one free end in a chamber  36  formed in the belt clamping lever  14  and with another free end  37  resting against a respective bearing formed in the upper housing member. The belt clamping lever  14  is forced by retention spring  34  into the clamping position and against the belt receiving part  31 . The locking lever element  26  is pressed into the locking position by of a compression spring  29  which rests against the locking lever element  26  with one end. The second end of the spring  29  rests against an abutment surface  38  formed in the upper housing member  16  of the base  2 . In this position as shown, by of the locking mechanism  33 , the inclination adjustment which has been set by moving the inclination adjustment element  22  into the desired position and locking the inclination adjustment element  20  by of the interaction between the locking rod  27  and the slots  25  of the connecting members  24  the locking rod  27  rests in, is firmly locked and secured. Simultaneously, the vehicle seatbelt is firmly clamped by the belt clamping lever  14  pressing the seatbelt towards and clamping the seatbelt to the belt receptacle part  31 . 
         [0063]    In order to assemble the entire child safety seat in this situation, the seat element  3  (compare  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) will be set onto the base  2  and firmly connected and fixed to the base  2 . This is accomplished by the hook elements  11  interacting with and catching the connecting rod that is part of the seat element  3 . After connecting the seat element  3  to the base  2 , it is apparent and will become even clearer from the following description, that the seat element completely covers the upper surface of the base  2  and, in particular, covers the area where the clamping lever  14  is situated. So, there is no access to the clamping lever  14  and, therefore, the clamping lever  14  cannot be manipulated. As the clamping lever  14  acts as the manipulator for manipulating the locking mechanism  33 , this that any change of the settings and adjustment of the inclination adjustment element  20  is not possible as long as the seat element  3  is firmly affixed to the base  2 . Hence, it is not possible for a child sitting in the seat adjacent the child safety seat to mess around with the inclination-adjustor and thereby either willingly or accidentally unlock the locking mechanism  33 . Consequently, a child sitting in the child safety seat built up with the base  2  according to the invention in combination with the seat element  3  is well protected by the base  2 ; and the child safety seat  1  containing the base  2  always maintains its correct and leveled position. 
         [0064]    The first step in order to release the locking mechanism  33  is illustrated in  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 8  is a sectional view comparable to  FIG. 7 . The first action will be to remove the securing clip  32  from its rest position where it secures the free end of the belt clamping lever  14 . This is done by rotating the clip  32  in a clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow  39 , about the rotational axis  40  by of which the securing clip  32  is connected to the belt receptacle part  31 . By of loosening the securing clip  32 , the belt clamping lever  14  may be lifted upwardly away from the belt receptacle part  31  and then rotating the belt clamping lever  14  in a counter-clockwise direction around the rotation axis  28  as indicated by arrow  41 . This rotation action is continued until a first abutment face  4 s on the belt clamping lever  14  abuts a second abutment face  43  formed on the locking lever element  26 . 
         [0065]    The resulting situation with the abutting abutment faces  42 ,  43  is shown in  FIG. 9 . Upon further pressing the belt clamping lever  14  in the direction indicated with the arrow  44  in  FIG. 10 , the locking lever element  26  is caused to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow  45 , by the interaction between the first and second abutment faces  42  and  43 . The locking lever element  26  rotates in a counter-clockwise direction against the retaining force exerted by the compression spring  29 , thereby removing the locking rod  27  from the slot  25  the rod  27  rests in and thus releasing the inclination adjustment element  20  from its present position and allowing the adjustment element  20  to move into another inclination position. 
         [0066]    In  FIG. 11  this change in the setting of the inclination adjustment element  20  is shown. Element  20  has been tilted in a way so as to protrude beyond the bottom plate part  15  of the base  2  and has moved in the direction as indicated by arrow  46 . The locking rod  27  of the locking lever element  26  is shown resting in line with an upper slot  25  of the connecting member  24 , ready to be fed into the said slot  25 . By means of holding the clamping lever  14  in the position shown in  FIG. 11  and further by the interactive action of the abutment faces  42  and  43 , the locking lever element  26  is held back from turning clockwise. In order to allow the locking rod  27  to enter the slot  25  of the connecting member  24  of the inclination adjustment element  20 , the belt clamping lever  14  is allowed to rotate back in a clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow  47  in  FIG. 12 . This will lead to a clockwise rotation of the locking lever element  26  as indicated by arrow  48  in  FIG. 12 , caused by the return force exerted by compression spring  29  on the locking lever element  26 . In this state, the inclination adjustment element  20  is already caught in the pre-set and desired position. In order to further lock the locking mechanism  33 , clamping lever  14  is further rotated in the clockwise direction as indicated by arrow  49  in  FIG. 13  until the clamping lever  14  firmly rests against the belt receptacle part  31  once again with the vehicle seatbelt clamped between these two elements. This is not shown in this Figure. In this situation, a third abutment face  50  formed on the belt clamping lever  14  gets to abut and rest against a fourth abutment face  51  formed on the locking lever element  26 . This situation, which is shown in the enlargement of  FIG. 13   a,  provides for a blocking action keeping the locking lever element  26  in the locking position with the locking rod  27  caught in the slot  25  by a positive fit. Finally, and as shown in  FIG. 14 , the securing clip  32  is rotated back into the rest position in a counter-clockwise direction as indicated by arrow  52  in  FIG. 14 . By now the inclination adjustment element  20  is firmly locked in another preselected position, adapting the base  2  to another inclination situation according to a specific vehicle seat which the base  2  rests on. 
         [0067]    Again it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that, for performing all the manipulations described with respect to  FIGS. 7 to 14 , the seat element  3  needs to be removed from the base  2 . Further, it should be clear that after inclination adjustment by setting the position of the inclination adjustment element  20  has taken place and the vehicle seatbelt is firmly clamped between the belt receptacle part  31  and the belt clamping lever  14 , the base  2  is securely fastened to the vehicle seat the base  2  has been placed on. Furthermore, the inclination of the inclination adjustment member  20  has been adjusted in a proper way to fit to the situation of the respective vehicle seat with the base  2  being properly leveled and oriented to receive the seat element  3  in a safe and correct position. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that after putting on the seat element  3  to the base  2  and firmly connecting these two parts with one another, the inclination-adjustor and its locking mechanism will not be possible to manipulate or readjust from outside of the child safety seat  1  without again removing the seat element  3  from the base  2 . Consequently, there cannot be any willful or accidental messing around with the inclination-adjustor which would cause a hazardous maladjustment of the base  2  and consequently of the child safety seat  1 . This maladjustment might cause severe harm to a child received the child safety seat  1  in the event of an accident due to improper leveling and adjustment of the child safety seat&#39;s position. 
         [0068]    For allowing a control of correct leveling of the base  2  by of adjusting the inclination-adjustor with putting the inclination adjustment element  20  in a correct position, the base may be equipped with a suitable level indicator which e.g. might indicate the correct leveling by optical means. Such level indicators are well known in the art and do not need to be described in detail, thus. 
         [0069]    Again it is to be stated that the description of the embodiment given above is only to be meant as an exemplary and possible way to carry out the invention while many other ways will come up with a person skilled in the art and will be apparent to him.