Booster seat

A booster seat includes: a seat base; and a pair of armrests integrated with a rear portion of the seat base, and spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the seat base. In particular, each armrest has a shoulder belt guide channel guiding a shoulder belt of a seat belt, and a lap belt guide channel guiding a lap belt of the seat belt, and the shoulder belt guide channel and the lap belt guide channel are separated from each other.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0117394, filed on Oct. 2, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a booster seat, and more particularly, to a booster seat designed to protect children from injury.

BACKGROUND

A child safety seat (infant safety seat, child restraint system, child seat, baby seat, restraining car seat, car seat, etc.) is a seat designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during vehicle collisions.

A booster seat is a seat cushion that is used to raise a child's seating position. In general, most booster seats can be used for children who are between four and twelve years and between 40 and 59inches (100-150 cm) tall.

The booster seat does not have a seat belt system to hold the child in place. Instead, a vehicle seat belt goes around a child and the booster seat. The vehicle seat belt includes a shoulder belt and a lap belt which are separated by a tongue. The shoulder belt goes over the child's shoulder, and the lap belt goes over the child's thighs.

The booster seat may be divided into a high-backed booster seat having a back support, and a backless booster seat. The booster seat may have a pair of armrests.

Children have a large difference in body size depending on age, and even children of the same age are significantly different in body size depending on growth rate. We have discovered that it is desired to provide a method of efficiently restraining a child's body in addition to a correct seat belt fit to reduce injuries during vehicle collisions.

Meanwhile, the lap belt is routed under the armrest of the booster seat, and the shoulder belt is routed under or over the armrest of the booster seat according to the user's selection.

We have also discovered that when the shoulder belt is routed under the armrest of the booster seat, the shoulder belt is relatively far away from the child's neck and is positioned at the shoulder end of the child, so restraining the upper body of the child may become poor. Thus, as the upper body of the child moves forward to vehicle during a vehicle collision, the shoulder of the child come out of the shoulder belt, causing a serious injury to the child.

When the shoulder belt is routed over the armrest of the booster seat, we have discovered that the shoulder belt is positioned close to the child's neck, and the shoulder belt and the booster seat move independently of each other, so that the child's neck may get caught on the shoulder belt in a vehicle collision, which may lead to a fatal injury.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method of preventing the shoulder belt from slipping off the child's shoulder by adjusting the position of a D-ring guiding the shoulder belt is being studied.

We have discovered that it is difficult to change the position of the D-ring, due to interference with other parts, and the like. For example, when an attempt to change the position of the D-ring toward the inboard is made, pressure of a luggage room and interference in seat folding would make this D-ring position change impossible. In addition, when an attempt to change the position of the D-ring toward the upper side of a vehicle body is made, interference with trim parting line and restrictions on C-pillar design would make this D-ring position change impossible. Furthermore, when an attempt to change the position of the D-ring toward the rear of the vehicle body is made, restrictions on C-pillar design and interference between the D-ring and a tailgate would make this D-ring position change impossible.

The matters described in the background section are provided to assist in understanding the background of the present disclosure, and may include any technical concept which is not considered as the prior art known to those skilled in the art.

SUMMARY

In one form, the present disclosure provides a booster seat designed to protect children from injuries more safely during vehicle collisions by guiding a shoulder belt across the middle of the child's shoulder.

In one form of the present disclosure, a booster seat may include: a seat base; and a pair of armrests integrated with a rear portion of the seat base, and spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the seat base, wherein each armrest may have a shoulder belt guide channel guiding a shoulder belt of a seat belt, and a lap belt guide channel guiding a lap belt of the seat belt.

The shoulder belt guide channel may be positioned higher than the lap belt guide channel.

The shoulder belt guide channel may be positioned behind the lap belt guide channel.

Each armrest may include a first extended portion which is vertically extended from the rear portion of the seat base, a second extended portion which is extended from the first extended portion toward a front portion of the seat base, and a third extended portion which is extended from the seat base toward the second extended portion.

The third extended portion may be continuously connected to a front end of the first extended portion, a height of the third extended portion may be lower than a height of the first extended portion, and a length of the third extended portion may be shorter than a length of the second extended portion.

Each armrest may further include a first ridge protruding from the third extended portion toward the second extended portion, and a second ridge protruding downwardly from the second extended portion.

The shoulder belt guide channel and the lap belt guide channel may be separated from each other by the first and second ridges.

The first extended portion may have a first guide surface facing the shoulder belt guide channel, the second extended portion may have a second guide surface facing the shoulder belt guide channel, the third extended portion may have a third guide surface facing the shoulder belt guide channel, and the first ridge may have a fourth guide surface facing the shoulder belt guide channel.

The first guide surface may be a vertical surface, the second guide surface may be a horizontal surface, the third guide surface may be a horizontal surface, and the fourth guide surface may be an inclined surface.

The third extended portion may have a fifth guide surface facing the lap belt guide channel, and the first ridge may have a sixth guide surface facing the lap belt guide channel.

The fifth guide surface may be a vertical surface, and the sixth guide surface may be a curved surface.

The sixth guide surface may have a notched recess.

The shoulder belt guide channel may be defined by the first extended portion, the second extended portion, the third extended portion, and the first ridge, and the lap belt guide channel may be defined by the third extended portion, the first ridge, and the second ridge.

The shoulder belt guide channel and the lap belt guide channel may have a gap there between, and the gap may be narrower than a width of the shoulder belt guide channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, exemplary forms of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or equivalent elements. In addition, a detailed description of well-known techniques associated with the present disclosure will be ruled out in order not to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 1, a booster seat10according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure may be designed to support a child on a vehicle seat1. The booster seat10may be placed on the vehicle seat1.

The child and the booster seat10may be restrained by a vehicle seat belt system20.

FIG. 1illustrates a typical three-point seat belt system. The vehicle seat belt system20may include a seat belt21, a D-ring22guiding the seat belt21, a tongue23configured to slide along a longitudinal direction of the seat belt21, and a retractor (not shown) winding or unwinding the seat belt21on a reel. The tongue23may be detachably fastened to a buckle24fixed to the vehicle seat1.

The seat belt21may include a shoulder belt25and a lap belt26which are separated by the tongue23.

The shoulder belt25goes over the shoulder of a child sitting on the booster seat10, and the lap belt26goes over the waist of the child sitting on the booster seat10.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the booster seat10according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure may include a seat base11.

The seat base11may have a first side surface13, a second side surface14, a front portion15, a rear portion16, a top surface17, and a bottom surface18.

The booster seat10may include a pair of armrests30integrated with the rear portion16of the seat base11, and the pair of armrests30may be spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the seat base11. The armrests30may be adjacent to the side surfaces13and14of the seat base11, respectively.

Referring toFIG. 2, each armrest30may include a shoulder belt guide channel41guiding and receiving the shoulder belt25, and a lap belt guide channel42guiding and receiving the lap belt26. The shoulder belt guide channel41and the lap belt guide channel42may be separated from each other.

Referring toFIG. 3, each armrest30may include a first extended portion31which is vertically extended from the rear portion16of the seat base11, a second extended portion32which is extended from the first extended portion31toward the front portion15of the seat base11, and a third extended portion33which is extended from the seat base11toward the second extended portion32.

The third extended portion33may be continuously connected to the front end of the first extended portion31, and the third extended portion33may have a height h2lower than that of the first extended portion31and a length d2shorter than that of the second extended portion32. In other words, the height h2of the third extended portion33may be lower than a height h1of the first extended portion31, and the length d2of the third extended portion33may be shorter than a length dl of the second extended portion32. Thus, the first extended portion31and the third extended portion33may have a stair step structure formed on the rear portion16of the seat base11.

In addition, each armrest30may further include a first ridge34protruding from the third extended portion33toward the second extended portion32, and a second ridge35protruding downwardly from the second extended portion32.

The first ridge34may protrude upwardly and diagonally from the front end of the third extended portion33toward the second extended portion32, and the first ridge34may have a triangular shape. The second ridge35may protrude downwardly from the front end of the second extended portion32, and the second ridge35may have a triangular shape.

The first extended portion31may have a first guide surface31afacing the shoulder belt guide channel41, the second extended portion32may have a second guide surface32afacing the shoulder belt guide channel41, the third extended portion33may have a third guide surface33afacing the shoulder belt guide channel41, and the first ridge34may have a fourth guide surface34afacing the shoulder belt guide channel41. The shoulder belt25received in the shoulder belt guide channel41may be guided through at least one of the first guide surface31a,the second guide surface32a,the third guide surface33a,and the fourth guide surface34a.

For example, the first guide surface31amay be a vertical surface, the second guide surface32amay be a horizontal surface, the third guide surface33amay be a horizontal surface, and the fourth guide surface34amay be an inclined surface. The shoulder belt guide channel41may be defined by the first extended portion31, the second extended portion32, the third extended portion33, and the first ridge34.

The lap belt guide channel42may be defined by the third extended portion33, the first ridge34, and the second ridge35. The third extended portion33may have a fifth guide surface33bfacing the lap belt guide channel42, and the first ridge34may have a sixth guide surface34bfacing the lap belt guide channel42. The lap belt26may be guided through at least one of the fifth guide surface33band the sixth guide surface34b.

For example, the fifth guide surface33bmay be a vertical surface, and the sixth guide surface34bmay be a curved surface.

In addition, the sixth guide surface34bmay have a notched recess34c,and the lap belt26may be inhibited or prevented from being separated from the sixth guide surface34bthrough the notched recess34c.As illustrated inFIG. 3, the notched recess34cmay be formed at a portion where the fifth guide surface33band the sixth guide surface34bmeet.

A gap43may be formed between the shoulder belt guide channel41and the lap belt guide channel42, and the gap43may be narrower than a width of the shoulder belt guide channel41. The gap43may be defined by the first ridge34and the second ridge35, and the shoulder belt25may pass through the gap43and be inserted into the shoulder belt guide channel41. The second ridge35may have an inclined surface35c,and the inclined surface35cmay face the top end of the first ridge34. The shoulder belt25may be easily inserted into the shoulder belt guide channel41by the inclined surface35cof the second ridge35.

The third extended portion33may be continuously formed integrated with the front portion of the first extended portion31, and the third extended portion33may be extended upwardly from the seat base11, so that the shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned higher than the lap belt guide channel42.

The third extended portion33may be shorter than the second extended portion32, and the lap belt guide channel42may be positioned at the front end of the third extended portion33, and the shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned on the top of the third extended portion33. The shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned behind the lap belt guide channel42.

The shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned higher than the lap belt guide channel42, and the shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned behind the lap belt guide channel42, so that the routing of the shoulder belt may be improved, and the shoulder belt guide channel may route the shoulder belt over the middle of the child's shoulder properly.

In particular, the shoulder belt guide channel41and the lap belt guide channel42may be separated from each other by the first and second ridges34and35, so that the shoulder belt guide channel41may independently guide and receive the shoulder belt25, and the lap belt guide channel42may independently guide and receive the lap belt26.

Referring toFIG. 4, when a shoulder belt25bof a booster seat according to the related art is routed over the armrest, the shoulder belt25bis positioned close to the child's neck (see portion C inFIG. 4), and the shoulder belt and the booster seat move independently of each other, so that the child's neck may get caught on the shoulder belt in a vehicle collision, which may lead to a fatal injury.

In addition, when a shoulder belt25aof a booster seat according to the related art is routed under the armrest, the shoulder belt25ais relatively far away from the child's neck and is positioned at the shoulder end of the child (see portion B inFIG. 4), so restraining the upper body of the child may become poor. Thus, as the upper body of the child moves forward during a vehicle collision, the shoulder of the child come out of the shoulder belt, causing a serious injury to the child.

On the other hand, according to an exemplary form of the present disclosure, as the shoulder belt guide channel41and the lap belt guide channel42are separated from each other, the routing of the shoulder belt25and the routing of the lap belt26may be independent of each other, so that the shoulder belt25may lie across the middle of the child's shoulder with accuracy and ease.

In particular, the shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned higher than the lap belt guide channel42and the shoulder belt guide channel41may be positioned behind the lap belt guide channel42, so that the routing of the shoulder belt25may be improved.

As set forth above, according to exemplary forms of the present disclosure, the shoulder belt guide channel and the lap belt guide channel may be separated from each other in the armrests of the booster seat, so that the routing of the shoulder belt and the routing of the lap belt may be independent of each other.

In addition, according to exemplary forms of the present disclosure, the shoulder belt guide channel may be positioned higher than the lap belt guide channel and the shoulder belt guide channel may be positioned behind the lap belt guide channel, so that the routing of the shoulder belt may be improved, and the shoulder belt guide channel may route the shoulder belt over the middle of the child's shoulder properly.

Hereinabove, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary forms and the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but maybe variously modified and altered by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.