Child travel restraint system

A child travel restraint system having a child safety seat adapted to be removably connected to a vehicle seat and a supplemental child restraint adapted to be stowed with the child safety seat, with the supplemental child restraint further adapted to be separated from the child safety seat and removably fastened to a vehicle passenger seat, and a method of providing a child restraint when traveling by land vehicle and by aircraft within a given trip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to restraint systems for use when traveling with a child which are designed to protect the child as a vehicle occupant. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a child travel restraint system which provides multiple configurations for use in land vehicles as well as aircraft, and to a method of providing a vehicle restraint when traveling by land vehicle and by aircraft within a given trip.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Restraining a child in a vehicle is critically important to their personal safety. This is true whether the child is traveling as a passenger in a land vehicle or an aircraft. In the present context, the term land vehicle is intended to include vehicles having at least one passenger seat and that are designed to travel on land, such as on dirt or on paved road surfaces, including for example, automobiles, sport utility vehicles, vans or trucks. Similarly, the term aircraft as used herein is intended to include vehicles having at least one passenger seat and that are designed to travel by air, such as commercial or private airplanes or jets.

Depending on the physical size or maturity of a child, it is common to use a portable device known as a child safety seat or car seat when restraining a child in a land vehicle. Indeed, it is common within the United States that individual States have laws that require use of a child safety seat in particular configurations when children are traveling in a land vehicle. State laws typically relate to anticipated levels of physical maturity based on age or size. For example, a State may have laws that follow recommendations from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA recommends that a child from birth to at least one year old and at least twenty pounds be restrained in a child safety seat in a rearward facing direction and which is located in a rear seat of a land vehicle. This presumably is intended to protect such a small child who would not have adequate strength in the neck to resist the head potentially moving forward in a violent manner in a frontal crash or extreme braking maneuver. The NHTSA further recommends that from about age one and at least twenty pounds up until about age four and at least forty pounds, a child should be restrained in a forward facing child safety seat that is located in a rear seat of a land vehicle. Recognizing that children beyond this age and size are still at an elevated risk, the NHTSA recommends the use of a child booster seat to raise the child's pelvic region when on a seat from about age four and at least forty pounds up until the child is age eight or at least 4′9″ tall. After reaching such age or size, the NHTSA recommends that a child use a lap and shoulder belt, which typically are provided as standard equipment in modern land vehicles, and that the child still be seated in a rear seat of a land vehicle until reaching the age of twelve, at which time the child may appropriately use the standard seat belt restraints in a front or rear seat of a land vehicle. These recommendations, and the State laws that are fashioned in a similar manner, ultimately are intended for the protection and well-being of children when traveling in a land vehicle, which in today's society often is a daily occurrence.

Rules also apply to the restraint of children in aircraft. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that a very young child under age two need not be in a separate seat, and can be either held on the lap of an adult or buckled into a child safety seat, such as is used in a land vehicle, with the child safety seat installed on an aircraft passenger seat. Indeed, it is fairly widely recommended that children be in a child safety seat until the child is at least four years old and at least forty pounds. Beyond this age, a child may be seated in an aircraft passenger seat and use the standard lap belt provided by the aircraft manufacturer. Unfortunately, these rules are less than ideal for the safety of children. For instance, holding a child on an adult's lap may subject the child to a potential of being crushed by the adult's upper body in the event of a crash. Further, a relatively young child being buckled into an aircraft passenger seat by only a lap belt presents a similar physical maturity dilemma sought to be overcome in land vehicles by use of child safety seats or booster seats until an older age.

To date there is no known universal child restraint system that is capable of being configured in multiple ways so as to provide enhanced restraint safety for a child, regardless of the child's age and in which type of vehicle the child will be traveling. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a restraint system that may be used in both land vehicles and aircraft, at a variety of child ages, and that is equipped to be configured for use in a method of travel throughout a trip, which accommodates either type of vehicle being used in a respective segment of a trip. It also is desirable to provide a way in which to convert a standard child safety seat to a more universal child travel restraint system, so as to achieve the above desirable features. Moreover, it is advantageous to provide a protective travel bag incorporated into a total child travel restraint system.

The present invention addresses shortcomings in prior art child restraint systems, while providing the above mentioned desirable features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose and advantages of the invention will be set forth in and apparent from the description and drawings that follow, as well as will be learned by practice of the invention.

The present invention is generally embodied in a child travel restraint system that is adapted for use in land vehicles, as well as aircraft. The travel restraint system also may be used to provide enhanced safety for a child from newborn to the age at which a child car or booster seat is no longer required, and potentially even beyond these early years. It is important that the system provide a means by which an adult can travel with a child on a trip that may include travel both in a land vehicle and an aircraft, and provide convenience to the adult in handling the restraint system while providing the best safety performance.

Indeed, the present invention enhances the convenience of traveling with a child safety seat by allowing an adult to check as baggage the child safety seat when a child would be better restrained in an aircraft by a supplemental child restraint. This results in more usable space in the aircraft and facilitates more efficient and economical use of appropriate child restraints by making it more likely that a child travel restraint system may travel with an adult and child rather than giving rise to the need to rent a child safety seat once arriving at a destination by air travel.

Moreover, the simple, reliable and durable structure shown associated with the invention and shown in the preferred embodiments permits intuitive, easy use of the present invention, keeping the potential child restraints together making it suitable for use in a variety of vehicles and enhancing the likelihood that children will be restrained in an appropriate manner regardless of the type of vehicle in which they may ride during a given trip.

In a first aspect of the invention, the child travel restraint system has a child safety seat adapted to be removably connected to a vehicle seat, a supplemental child restraint adapted to be stowed with the child safety seat, and the supplemental child restraint is further adapted to be separated from the child safety seat and removably fastened to a vehicle passenger seat.

In another aspect of the invention, the child travel restraint system has a child safety seat adapted to be removably connected to a vehicle seat, a travel bag adapted to receive the child safety seat, a supplemental child restraint adapted to be stowed with the child safety seat in the travel bag, and the supplemental child restraint is further adapted to be separated from the child safety seat and travel bag and removably fastened to a vehicle passenger seat.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method of providing a child restraint when traveling by land vehicle and by aircraft within a given trip is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a child safety seat adapted to be removably connected to a passenger seat in a land vehicle and to restrain a child in the child safety seat when the child is riding in the land vehicle, removing the child safety seat from the land vehicle passenger seat and entirely from the land vehicle, providing a supplemental child restraint adapted to be stowed with the child safety seat when transporting the child safety seat into an airport, deploying the supplemental child restraint from the child safety seat and having the child safety seat stowed in an aircraft, connecting the supplemental child restraint to a passenger seat within the aircraft to restrain the child in the aircraft passenger seat when the child is riding in the aircraft, disconnecting the supplemental child restraint from the aircraft passenger seat and retrieving the child safety seat from the aircraft, and removably connecting the child safety seat to a passenger seat in a second land vehicle to restrain a child in the child safety seat when the child is riding in the second land vehicle.

Thus, the present invention presents a desirable alternative to child safety seats alone as they are used in present child vehicle restraint systems. The invention permits multiple configurations, for the best safety of the child and convenience of the adult who is traveling with and is responsible for the child.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and provided for purposes of explanation only, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. Further features and objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent in the following description of the preferred embodiments and from the appended claims.

It should be understood that the drawings are not to scale. While considerable mechanical details of a child travel restraint system, including other plan and section views of the particular components, have been omitted, such details are considered well within the comprehension of those skilled in the art in light of the present disclosure. It also should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring generally toFIGS. 1A-8and upon review of this description, it will be appreciated that the child travel restraint system of the present invention generally may be embodied within numerous configurations.

Referring to a preferred embodiment inFIGS. 1A-2B, a child travel restraint system10includes a child safety seat12, a supplemental child restraint14and a means to carry the supplemental child restraint with the child safety seat. Child safety seat12may take many forms and is generally of the type commonly used in land vehicles. Supplemental child restraint14also may take many forms an is generally of a type that may be used in an aircraft or land vehicle, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,251.

In this embodiment, child safety seat12has a pair of apertures through a lower portion of the side panels to permit a seatbelt for a passenger seat to be threaded through at15and latched for connection to a vehicle, as is well known and common in the child safety seat art. Indeed, it will be appreciated that many different configurations are available for connection of child safety seats to vehicle passenger seats via a seatbelt. In this context, child safety seat is intended to include products that have a single seat portion, or multiple portions, such as those having a seat portion that is to be connected to a base that, in turn, is connected to a vehicle passenger seat.

Also in this embodiment, child safety seat12includes a compartment16located in a rear panel18of the child safety seat12. In this example, compartment16has a door20which is pivotally mounted by a hinge22to rear panel18. Door20has a handle24to be able to move between open and closed positions, with door20latching in the closed position via a suitable latching mechanism (not shown). Compartment16is provided to store supplemental restraint14, so that it is carried with the child safety seat12and available for use when needed. While optional,FIGS. 1A and 1Binclude a further carrying case26which is appropriately sized to fit within compartment16, yet also hold supplemental restraint14. Carrying case26has a zipper28to allow supplemental restraint14to be placed inside or withdrawn for use as needed, and it may be conveniently carried apart from child safety seat12.

Child safety seat12of child travel restraint system10may be buckled onto the seat bottom portion of a land vehicle seat for use when traveling over land, by passing a seatbelt through the apertures at15and latching the seatbelt in a customary manner. When deciding to include air travel within a trip with a child who has reached an age or size that would permit the child to travel without being in a child safety seat12, but would still be relatively immature with respect to the normal lap belt30of an aircraft seat34, child safety seat12may be removed from the land vehicle and transported into an airport. Compartment16may be opened and supplemental restraint14may be deployed or withdrawn for use, as shown inFIG. 1A. The supplemental restraint14may be stored in compartment16directly, or within a further container, such as carrying case26.

Once supplemental restraint14is removed from child safety seat12, child safety seat12may be stowed within the aircraft, such as by checking it through as luggage for the trip if boarding a commercial flight, or otherwise stowing the child safety seat in the cargo hold of the aircraft. In turn, supplemental restraint14may be carried onto the aircraft to be connected to an aircraft passenger seat34in a manner prescribed by the manufacturer. As represented in FIG.1B, an example supplemental restraint14may have an upper strap36for removable attachment to a seat back portion of aircraft passenger seat34. Two straps38are connected to upper strap36and are configured to run relatively vertically and parallel to each other. The bottom of straps38include loops40through which the ends of standard lap belt30may be threaded. The example supplemental restraint14further includes horizontal straps42connected to vertical straps38, and which may be connected together by a latch or buckle44. Thus, once a child is seated, the child may be more properly secured by latching the buckle and removing the slack in the standard lap belt30and by latching the buckle44on horizontal straps42to essentially employ a four point safety harness.

After the child using a supplemental child restraint14has safely completed the air travel portion of a trip, the supplemental child restraint14may be removed from the aircraft passenger seat34, and carried off the aircraft. Upon retrieving the child safety seat12, the supplemental child restraint14may again be stowed within the rear compartment16, and child safety seat12may be connected to a passenger seat in a land vehicle for use at the final destination.

In time, it may be that such a supplemental child restraint14will be tested and recommended for use in land vehicles as well. In that event, such a supplemental child restraint14may be deployed from a child safety seat12for more consistent use in both land vehicles and aircraft.

Turning toFIGS. 3A and 3B, a second embodiment of a child travel restraint system110is shown with child safety seat112having a pouch, compartment, or carrying case126connected to a rear panel118. Pouch126is configured to be resealable with a zipper128, and to accept and hold a supplemental child restraint (not shown), comparable to that of the first embodiment. Pouch126may be directly and permanently affixed to child safety seat112. Alternatively, it may be removably connected to the rear of child safety seat112, such as by fasteners in the form of snaps146, hook and loop fastener148, or any combination thereof or suitable alternatives thereto. This alternative embodiment of a child travel restraint system110may be used in a similar manner to that of the first embodiment shown inFIGS. 1A-2B.

A third embodiment of a child travel restraint system210is shown inFIG. 4. This embodiment has an alternative way of holding a supplemental child restraint14adjacent the rear of a child safety seat212. A holder226has an open slot at its upper end and a bottom at its lower end, forming a compartment to receive and hold a supplemental child restraint14. Similar to pouch126, holder226may be permanently affixed or removably connected to the rear of child safety seat212by suitable fastening means. This third embodiment of a child travel restraint system210also may be used in a similar manner to that of the first embodiment.

InFIG. 5, a fourth embodiment of a child travel restraint system310is shown with a compartment316located in a side panel319of a child safety seat312. In this embodiment, compartment316has a door320which is pivotally mounted to side panel319by a continuous hinge322formed in the plastic. Door320has a handle324to be able to move between open and closed positions, with door320latching in the closed position via rotation of handle324to engage latching mechanism325. Compartment316is provided to store a supplemental restraint (not shown), so as to be carried with the child safety seat312when not in use and to be readily available for use when needed. In this embodiment, the supplemental restraint may be stowed directly, or within a suitable carrying case such as is shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B.

Turning toFIG. 6, a fifth embodiment of a child travel restraint system is shown with an alternative way of holding a supplemental child restraint14adjacent the rear of a child safety seat412. A holder426has a pair of holding fingers427which may be formed into the rear panel418of child safety seat412, or may be formed together or individually so as to clip into apertures or otherwise be fastened to rear panel418. In either event, fingers427serve to receive and hold a supplemental child restraint14. This fifth embodiment of a child travel restraint system410also may be used in a similar manner to that of the first embodiment in land vehicles and aircraft.

FIG. 7shows a sixth embodiment of a child travel restraint system510. InFIG. 7, child safety seat512has a fabric seat cover513which is stretched over the seat to provide greater comfort for a child passenger. Seat cover513includes an internal pouch or compartment526with a reclosable zipper528to access a supplemental restraint in pouch526. It will be appreciated that an integral reclosable pouch or compartment may be provided in the seat cover in alternative configurations, such as along the sides of child safety seat512or elsewhere, and by fasteners such as a zipper, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, or other suitable components.

FIG. 8presents a seventh embodiment of a child travel restraint system610. In this embodiment, a travel bag650is provided to enhance the ease with which child safety seat612can be transported by a user, such as when walking through an airport. Travel bag650also provides further protection to child safety seat612when checking the seat through as luggage. Importantly, because a supplemental restraint (not shown) would normally be used when child safety seat612is being stowed in travel bag650, the supplemental restraint may be stored in travel bag650, such as within the interior of the bag loosely or in a separate compartment or other holder, or within a compartment on the outside of travel bag650, such as pouch652. Pouch652may have various configurations, such as having a closable flap654with a suitable fastener, such as snap656or the like. A supplemental restraint may be stowed or removed when it will be needed and prior to checking travel bag650and child safety seat612as luggage.

Travel bag650may be made of various materials, whether vinyl, nylon, fabric or any other suitable material and in an appropriate configuration to perform the desired storage and transportation functions. The convenience of child travel restraint system610may be enhanced by including a protective rear skid plate658on travel bag650. The skid plate may be made of plastic or other relatively rigid suitable materials, and may be configured to support axles for rotatable elements such as rollers or wheels660. To further increase the convenience, travel bag650also may have a carrying or tow strap or a handle, such as the retractable, telescopic handle662. It will be appreciated that a handle or tow strap may be configured in various ways, whether of flexible or rigid materials.

It will be appreciated that a child travel restraint system in accordance with the present invention may be provided in various configurations that will offer the opportunity to use a child safety seat in its standard configuration or to choose to use a supplemental restraint for alternative connection to a vehicle seat, as appropriate. Any variety of suitable materials of construction, configurations, shapes and sizes for the components and methods of connecting the components may be utilized to meet the particular needs and requirements of an end user. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made in the design and construction of such a child travel restraint system without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention, and that the claims are not limited to the preferred embodiments illustrated.