Abstract:
Improvements in an infant car seat with a base. When the infant car seat is disconnected from the base, the infant car seat is convertible into a stroller. A plurality of wheels and rollers lock into place to secure the infant car seat into the base. The stroller base has two sets of wheels positioned at different levels from a centrally positioned swivel that allows the stroller to easily maneuver the stroller. The stroller base optionally includes a storage space. The base has locks on the wheels to lock the movement for different terrains specifically in dirt terrains. The infant car seat has two handles where one handle is for carrying the car seat and the other handle telescopes to convert into a stroller handle when extended. The infant car seat has an optional cover and an optional swing attachment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional 61/137,467 filed Aug. 27, 2008 the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSERED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0006]    This invention relates to improvements in the transporting of infants in a car seat with the base, which converts into a stroller when removed from the base and extending a carrying arm. The infant seat is also convertible into an infant swing. Specifically, the infant seat improves the transporting of an infant without back injury to the carrier due to carrying the car seat. 
         [0007]    2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
         [0008]    Chiropractors see many patients that suffer from a specific back problem caused by carrying the infant car seat. Right now there is nothing that can help these patients unless they place the infant car seat on a stroller made for a car seat. The stroller is bulky so most people tend not to use them for quick errands. This invention will solve this problem and help people who suffer with back injuries or prevent others who will suffer from back injuries due to carrying the infant car seat with the infant in it adding weight to the seat. This application created a new type of infant car seat. Several products and patents have been developed with infant, baby or child seats that convert into child products. Exemplary examples of patents covering these child seat products are disclosed herein. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,685 issued Dec. 20, 2005 to William L. King et al discloses a Wheeled Car Seat. In this wheeled car seat the wheel exist in a folding compartment located under the seat area. The handle that extends from the center of the seating acts as a front restrain. This patent does not have a base or add-on companion stroller and swing. It further does not use roller ball wheels for turning on sharp corners. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,736 issued Jan. 24, 2006 to Ho-Young Lee discloses a Multi-Functional Infant-Carrying Device. The handle and wheels must be connected to the car seat to create the stroller function. This patent is significantly different from the pending application because it is basically a sling with a back seat. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,518 issued Jan. 17, 2006 issued to Gary Lee Besaw discloses a combined Baby Car Seat and Stroller. In this patent the baby seat is essentially a stroller and the seat/stroller is secured into a base unit that mounts into a car. This patent does not combine the infant car seat and stroller as one piece with a base. The pieces are completely separate components. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,694 issued May 9, 2006 to Mark Sedlack discloses an Infant Car Seat and Stroller System. U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,400 issued Feb. 24, 2004 to Mitsuru Washizuku et al., discloses a Child Car Seat and Baby Carriage. These patents include a number of components that must be added or attached to the car seat to perform the functions of a stroller and elevated chair/seat. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,066 issued Jul. 12, 2005 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,057 issued Dec. 27, 2005, both to Mark Sedlack disclose an Infant Car Seat and Safety Belt System and a Mechanism for Connecting Infant Car Seat and Base. These patents do not apply closely to the patent being proposed because it is just the infant car seat with a safety belt system. This patent is just the mechanism for connecting the infant car seat to the base. The pending application uses a completely different mechanism which involves the fitting of the rollers and wheels into the base to lock it in place when the seat is used as a stroller. 
         [0014]    What is needed is an infant car seat with a base, which when disconnected from the base the handle can be telescoped out to convert the car seat into a stroller. The proposed convertible infant stroller includes a roller ball that is placed on each side of the housing. The roller allows the car seat to make sharp turns which is a problem with most strollers and other children&#39;s carts. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    It is an object of the infant car seat to provide an easier movement of the infant car seat from an automobile to a stroller. The proposed convertible infant seat has two wheels and two rollers so that the infant in the car seat does not have to be carried when the infant seat is being moved from a car to and from a house, daycare or business. 
         [0016]    It is an object of the infant car seat to provide ease of movement around sharp corners by using two sets of wheels and two rollers instead of four wheels. The plurality of six wheels allows the stroller to pivot forward and back from the two rollers to either of the two sets of wheels. 
         [0017]    It is an object of the infant car seat to provide for safer movement by the person carrying the infant preventing injury to their back. Injury to the back is reduced because the parent or care giver does not need to carry the child off one side as they transport and move the child or infant. 
         [0018]    It is an object of the infant car seat to provide safety to the infant by having a sun shade to protect the infant from the sun and from any falling objects. The sun shade protects the child from UV radiation that can sun burn the sensitive skin of an infant. The sun shade also reduces the amount of light that shines into the infant seat to make it easier for an infant to sleep. 
         [0019]    It is another object of the of the infant car seat to provide ease of movement by being able to move the telescopic handle both towards the car seat and away from the car seat allowing a person to pull or push the car seat. 
         [0020]    It is another object of the infant car seat to provide for the safe pivot and swivel of the infant seat through the placement of the wheels for stability. The outboard swivel roller wheels allow the infant car seat to spin around on itself to make the car seat easy to maneuver. 
         [0021]    It is still another object of the base of the infant car seat to allow for safe transportation of the infant inside the automobile. Rather than transporting an array of equipment including a baby seat, stroller, swing and diaper bag. The convertible infant stroller provides a convertible solution with minimal separate pieces. 
         [0022]    It is still another object of the companion add-on stroller to provide for a larger stroller with increased storage capacity for longer trips. The need to provide more storage and a larger stroller becomes more important as a baby grows into an infant, toddler and then into a young child. As the child transitions through each stage of development the amount of child clothing, food and supplies change. 
         [0023]    It is still another object of the companion add-on companion swing to swivel to and allows the swing to go either side to side or forwards and backwards. Each child may respond differently to the stimulus of being swung side to side or front to back. The ability to change movement stimulation gives a parent or caregiver the option to clam a child with a variety of movements. 
         [0024]    Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present convertible infant car seat will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows an overhead view of the infant car seat without the base. 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the infant car seat. 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of the infant car seat. 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a back view of the infant car seat. 
           [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a side sectional view of only the base of an infant car seat. 
           [0030]      FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of the infant car seat. 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective back view of the infant car seat in a companion swing. 
           [0032]      FIG. 8  shows a side view of the infant car seat in a companion add-on swing. 
           [0033]      FIG. 9  shows the top view of the infant car seat in an add-on elevated stroller. 
           [0034]      FIG. 10  shows a side view of the infant car seat in an add-on elevated stroller. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]      FIG. 1  shows an infant car seat without the base from an overhead view. In the preferred embodiment the infant car seat is predominantly made from a molded or formed shell that is covered and padded on the interior surface with foam or similar cushioning material that is then covered with a fabric surface that can be removed for cleaning or washing. The interior cushioning structure of the infant car seat provides both comfort and protection for a child within the seat to protect them from harm in the event of an accident. 
         [0036]    In  FIG. 1  the retractable canopy  20  is shown installed on top of the infant car seat. The cover over the side roller wheels  21  are shown extending outboard of the baby seat structure. The retractable telescoping lift handle  30  is shown connected through the first pivot arm  25  and the second pivot arm  26  to the sides of the baby seat and extending around and over the baby seat. A portion of the seat belt  23  is visible as it extends from under the retractable canopy. The seat belt  23  connects to the inside of the infant car seat and extends over the shoulders of an infant or child placed within the seat. The seat belt  23  is brought between the legs of a child in the seat where it is secured into the bottom of the infant car seat. The infant car seat has a shell having a seat portion, having a back portion, a first or left side portion, a second or right side portion, a front and a bottom portion. In the preferred embodiment the back portion is prow shaped. 
         [0037]    While the stroller is secured to the base, the lift handle  30  telescopes through a series of nesting members  31  into the pivoting connection joint  38  in the base. An infant is secured into the car seat and the seat and infant are secured in an automobile where the seat. The rollers and wheels are fitted into the base of the infant car seat to protect the car upholstery from dirt and grime that can collect onto the rollers and wheels. The wheels and rollers lock into place to secure the infant seat inside the base. When disconnected from the base access to the two wheels and two rollers provide for ease of movement around sharp corners. The front and back wheels allow for the swivel frontwards and backwards. There are two handles one for carrying the car seat and one is the telescopic handle converting it into a stroller when extended. This infant car seat has a sun cover to protect the infant from the glare of the sun as well as falling debris. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the infant car seat. From this side view the retractable canopy  20  is shown in the raised position. The retractable canopy rotates behind the main seat housing  28  through connection joint  29 . The front pivot wheel  36  and the back pivot wheel  35  are shown on the bottom of the main seat housing. It should be noted that these wheels exist elevated from the central Omni-directional casting ball roller wheel(s)  40 . The lift handle  30  is shown connecting through nested  31  telescoping members through the pivot arm(s)  25 . The arm is shown extended in this view to show the extendable front  32  of the infant seat. The front  32  of the infant car seat extends with a sliding plate  33  from a slot  34  in the main seat housing  28 . A series of detents  37  retains the arm in fixed positions. A mesh screen  42  is shown extending from the retractable canopy  20  to the shell of the infant car seat to provide shade and protection. It is also contemplated that the infant car seat further includes a storage compartment  43  that is formed in said rear portion 
         [0039]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of the infant car seat. The retractable canopy  20  is shown in the raised position above the main seat housing  28 . A portion of the connection joint(s)  29  for the retractable canopy  20  are shown in this view. The back pivot wheel  36  is shown extending down from the bottom of the main seat housing  28 . The left casting ball roller wheel  40  and the right Omni-directional casting ball roller wheel  41  is shown in this figure. These casting ball roller wheels can rotate front to back and side to side to give the infant car seat mobility and motion that is not attainable with conventional linear wheels. A care giver can simply move the infant child seat horizontally on these wheels to move the infant car seat to the side. It is also contemplated that the infant car seat optionally includes a tote that is removable attached to said extendable handle. 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  shows a back view of the infant car seat. This back view shows the left and right Omni-directional casting ball roller wheels  40 ,  41  and the back pivot wheel  35 . The retractable canopy is shown above the main seat housing  28 . The connection joint(s)  29  for the retractable canopy  29  are shown at the sides of the main seat housing  28 . In the preferred embodiment the housing is made from a light weight material of preferably plastic and more preferably Polycarbonate. Connection pivoting joints  38  for the top of the retractable canopy  29  are shown where the pivoting arms connect to the cover portion of the retractable canopy  20 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 5  shows a side sectional view of only the base of an infant car seat. In this figure the holes  67  where the roller wheels fit and lock into place are shown along with the holes  64  where the roller balls to lock into place. The hole  66  where the center of the infant car seat and pivot wheels lock into place is also shown. 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of the infant car seat. This simple view shows where the back pivot wheel  35 , front pivot wheel  36 , and the two casting roller wheels lock into place. The size of the base is larger than the infant car seat to collect debris that is dropped from the infant car seat to protect the interior of the car and the seat fabric. 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective back view of the infant car seat in a companion swing and  FIG. 8  shows a side view of the infant car seat in a companion add-on swing. The frame  70  of the swing supports the infant car seat  50 . The top of the frame  70  a housing  71  encloses a motor mechanism for rocking the infant car seat  50 . The motor can be a mechanical crank or an electric type for external power or a battery. The infant car seat  50  is secured to the swing with a connecting arm  72  from the swing motor to the car seat  50 . The frame  70  of the swing is essentially an “A” style frame having four legs with foot pads  73  that both protect the ground and reduce movement of the legs. The connection of the connecting extender arm(s)  72  to the swing allows the infant car seat to swing front to back and side to side. The connecting extender arm(s)  72  hooks the handle of the infant car seat  50  the motor housing  71  to allow it to swing. The companion add-on swing extends out a handle that grips the one handle (not the telescopic handle) on the infant car seat. The swing motor allows for the swing to swivel, therefore the swing can move from side to side and also from forwards to backwards. 
         [0044]      FIG. 9  shows the top view of the infant car seat in an add-on elevated stroller.  FIG. 9  shows the top view of the infant car seat in an add-on elevated stroller and  FIG. 1   0  shows a side view of the infant car seat in an add-on elevated stroller. The infant car seat  50  attaches into a base  79 . A set of extendable cross members  91  extend and elevate the base  79  to lift and adjust the height of the base  79  from the bottom pan  88  of the add-on elevated stroller. In the preferred embodiment one or more of the wheels  81  have a brake to prevent rolling of the add-on stroller. The handlebar  78  extends from the base  79 . An optional cup holder(s)  77  exist on the top of the base  79 . An infant is placed within the infant child seat  50 . In the preferred embodiment the bottom pan  88  is essentially rectangular in shape. 
         [0045]    The companion add-on stroller is included to add storage space  80  and comfort for longer journeys. The top of the stroller is designed the same as the base for the automobile so that the infant car seat locks into place on the companion add-on stroller exactly how it locks into place inside the base. The base has locks on the wheels  81  to lock the movement for different terrains specifically in dirt terrains. This is apart from the regular foot brakes. The companion add-on swing is included to add versatility to an infant car seat  50 . 
         [0046]    From the Figures, the car seat  50  is capable of being converted to a stroller, the car seat comprises of a main seat housing  28  shell having an inner seat portion a back portion  51  a first side portion  52  a second side portion  53  a front portion  54  a bottom portion  55  a lifting handle  30  or gripping surface mounted on the first side portion  52  and the second portion  53 . There is a first wheel  35  connected with the shell  28  below the bottom  55  portion 
         [0047]    Thus, specific embodiments of an infant car seat have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.