Abstract:
A vehicular seat system ( 11 ) comprising: a vehicular seat ( 16 ) comprising an openable compartment ( 44 ) within the backrest ( 14 ) thereof; and an inflatable child safety seat ( 10 ) housed in the deflated state thereof inside the compartment ( 44 ), thereby saving volume in the vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of child safety seats. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for using a child safety seat within the vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Vehicular child safety seats are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions. 
         [0003]    However, these seats occupy a large volume in the vehicle, which cannot be utilized else than by a child. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,490 discloses a seat for supporting a child or infant for use in an automobile which is composed of pliable fabric arranged in a unitized or integral manner to define a seat, arm rests, back and front tray or bar. The fabric provides conduits or channels of continuous passages for holding air when pressurized. 
         [0005]    However, this seat does not provide integration of the child safety seat into the vehicle&#39;s design. 
         [0006]    All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the long felt need of a child safety seat which may be integrated into the vehicle&#39;s design. 
         [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to integrate a child safety seat directly into the vehicle&#39;s design 
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art. 
         [0009]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals have been mentioned:
       numeral  10  denotes a child safety seat according to one embodiment of the present invention;   numeral  11  denotes a child safety system according to one embodiment of the present invention; numeral  12  denotes a cover of a backrest;   numeral  14  denotes a backrest;   numeral  16  denotes a vehicular seat;   numeral  18  denotes an air outlet;   numeral  20  denotes a belt for securing the child to the child safety seat;   numeral  22  denotes a belt for securing the child safety seat to the vehicular seat;   numeral  24  denotes an air inlet;   numeral  26  denotes a perforation;   numeral  28  denotes filled air and air flow;   numeral  30  denotes a pump powered by the vehicle;   numeral  32  denotes an external inflatable tank;   numeral  34  denotes an internal inflatable tank;   numeral  36  denotes a side board;   numeral  38  denotes a track for moving the side board;   numeral  40  denotes a base of the child safety seat for sitting thereon;   numeral  42  illustrates another size of the base of the child safety seat;   numeral  44  denotes a compartment for housing the child safety seat when deflated; and   numeral  46  denotes the front of the backrest; and   numeral  48  denotes a base of the vehicular seat for sitting thereon.       
 
         [0031]    In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a vehicular seat system ( 11 ) comprising:
       a vehicular seat ( 16 ) comprising an openable compartment ( 44 ) within the backrest ( 14 ) thereof, and   an inflatable child safety seat ( 10 ) housed in the deflated state thereof inside the compartment ( 44 ),
 
thereby saving volume in the vehicle.
       
 
         [0034]    The compartment ( 44 ) may comprise:
       a non-openable surface ( 46 ) at the front of the backrest ( 14 ); and   an openable cover ( 12 ) at the rear of the backrest ( 14 ), for covering the inflatable seat ( 10 ) upon the housing, and for opening the compartment ( 44 ) upon inflation of the inflatable seat ( 10 ),
 
thereby the non-openable surface ( 46 ) provides comfortable leaning on the backrest ( 14 ) for using the vehicular seat ( 16 ).
       
 
         [0037]    According to one embodiment, the child safety seat ( 10  is permanently attached to the vehicular seat backrest ( 14 ), thereby the child safety seat ( 10 ) does not require fastening thereof to the vehicular seat ( 16 ) at the inflated state. 
         [0038]    According to this embodiment, the child safety seat ( 10 ) may be disposed at the back of the vehicular seat ( 16 ) in the inflated state thereof. 
         [0039]    The child safety seat ( 10 ) may be slightly inflated at the deflated state thereof, 
         [0000]    thereby providing the softness of the backrest ( 14 ) required for a person resting on the backrest ( 14 ). 
         [0040]    According to another embodiment, the child safety seat ( 10 ) may be removable from the compartment ( 44 ) for being disposed on a base ( 48 ) of a vehicular seat ( 16 ). 
         [0041]    The vehicular child safety system ( 11 ) may further comprise:
       an air pump ( 30 ) powered by the vehicle.       
 
         [0043]    The child safety seat ( 10 ) may comprise perforations ( 26 ) for ventilating the child sitting on the seat ( 10 ). 
         [0044]    In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for using a vehicular child safety seat ( 10 ), the method comprising the steps of:
       providing a compartment ( 44 ) within a vehicular seat ( 16 );   providing an inflatable child safety seat ( 10 );   housing the inflatable seat ( 10 ) in the deflated state thereof inside the compartment ( 44 ); and   inflating the child safety seat ( 10 ), to be attached to the backrest ( 14 ),
 
thereby saving volume in the vehicle.
       
 
         [0049]    The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0050]    Embodiments and features of the present invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings: 
           [0051]      FIG. 1  depicts a child car seat system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0052]      FIG. 2  depicts the child car seat of  FIG. 1  being deflated. 
           [0053]      FIG. 3  depicts the vehicular seat upon full deflation of the child safety seat of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0054]      FIG. 4  depicts a child car seat according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0055]      FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the air seat of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
       [0056]    It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0057]    The present invention will be understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, s y stems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail. 
         [0058]      FIG. 1  depicts a child car seat system, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0059]    A child car seat system  11  includes a child safety seat  10  housed in a back rest  14  of a vehicular seat  16 . According to one embodiment, the attachment of child safety seat  10  to vehicular seat  16  is permanent. 
         [0060]    Child safety seat  10  is inflatable, for instance, via an is inlet  24 , and by a pump  30  powered by the vehicle, and deflated via an outlet  18 . Upon being inflated, it acquires the form of a seat. 
         [0061]    Vehicular seat  16  may include additional accessories such as side boards  36  for securing the child, and tracks  38  for moving boards  36 . The child safety seat includes belts  20 , for securing the child to child safety seat  10 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 2  depicts the child car seat of  FIG. 1  being deflated. 
         [0063]    A cover  12 , which may be an inherent element of vehicular seat  16  may cover child safety seat  10 , upon deflation. The front  46  of vehicular seat  16  is not openable, and thus may include the elements for providing leaning on the vehicular backrest. 
         [0064]      FIG. 3  depicts the vehicular seat upon full deflation of the child safety seat of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0065]    Child car seat  10  is housed deflated inside a compartment  44  formed between cover  12  of backrest  14  of vehicular seat  16 , and the front of backrest  14 . 
         [0066]    Child safety seat  10  may contain a small volume of air, even upon deflation. for providing the softness required for the adult resting on backrest  14 . 
         [0067]      FIG. 4  depicts a child car seat according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0068]    According to another embodiment, child safety seat  10  is only housed deflated inside compartment  44 , as depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and elsewhere. After removing child safety seat  10  from compartment  44  and inflating it, it is placed on a base  48  of vehicular seat  16 , thus at the front of backrest  16 . 
         [0069]    According to this embodiment, child safety seat  10  is attached to vehicular seat  16  by belts  22  of the vehicle similar to prior art child safety seats. 
         [0070]    Pump  30  may provide air flow  28  through perforations  26 , for ventilating the child against moist. 
         [0071]      FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the air seat of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0072]    Air seat  10  may include an external inflatable tank  32  and an internal inflatable tank  34 . Thus, puncturing of external tank  32  does not endanger the child. 
         [0073]    According to one embodiment, the height of the base  40  of child safety seat  10  or other elements thereof may be adjusted to a size  42 , for adapting child safety seat  10  to the actual size of the child. 
         [0074]    The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form. 
         [0075]    Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition. 
         [0076]    The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.