IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO CHILDREN'S CAR SEATS

Abstract: Child's booster seat (1) for use by a child in an automobile, the booster seat having anchorage means to anchor the booster seat to the seat belts (18) of the vehicle. The seat belt is passed around an anchorage bar (8) and locked to the seat so that the seat is secure irrespective of whether the child is seated therein. The seat belt then is used to secure the child.

Description: IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO CHILDREN'S CAR SEATS This invention relates to improvements to children's booster car seats, and more particularly to a seat which can be positioned on an automotive seat 5. to raise the child so that the child can more easily see out of the vehicle and yet to constrain and hold the child securely in the adult seat belts. There are available child seats in which a small child is placed in a separate seat which is adapted to 10. be positioned on an automotive seat, these child seats having a separate framework, seat, backrest and usually separate seat belts or harness for the child. Thus these seats are suitable for smaller children such as children up to about three years of age. 15. However after the child is too big for these child seats, a child usually has to sit on the vehicle seat and in such a position is often too low to adequately see out of the windows of the vehicle which is thus frustrating to the child. Also in such a 20. position the child is not securely held in the adult seat belts for these are not designed to fit the body of a child. Sometimes in an attempt to raise the child so that they can see out of a vehicle, the child is often 25. sat on cushions or the like, but this is not entirely satisfactory, for the cushions often move and slip out from under the child and also the child is not securely held in the seat belt. Thus it is an object of this invention to provide a seat, which may for convenience be called a booster seat, which booster seat itself is held securely in the vehicle and thus cannot become a lethal missile in 5. the event of an accident. A further object is to provide a booster seat which adapts the seat belts fitted to a vehicle to more efficiently hold the child on the booster seat. A further object is to provide a seat which can 10. raise , the child so that they can see out of a vehicle ' s windows and thus be less frustrated and thus travel in a happier frame of mind. Thus there is provided according to the invention a child's booster seat, said seat being adapted to 15. raise the child to seat the child at a higher level, said booster seat having means for securing the booster seat securely in the vehicle and also adapting the seat belts fitted to the vehicle to more securely hold the child in the vehicle. 20. In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a view of a child on a booster seat showing the seat belts conforming to the child, 25. FIG. 2 is a view of the booster seat from the rear, FIG. 3 is a view of a booster seat from the front and FIG. *+ is a section through the booster seat. 30. As shown in the drawings the seat 1 comprises a base 2 and a seat portion 3. The base 2 is generally rectangular having a floor 4- and side walls 5, a plurality of upstanding posts 6 being formed with the base, the base preferably being moulded from one of the rigid 5. plastics materials. Along the rear of the base and extending along each side to a small portion there is provided a step or recess 7 in the side walls, this recess accommodating anchoring bars 8. 10. Each anchoring bar is generally U-shaped and extends through the end wall of the recess and along the lower corner of the floor and sidewalls to the front edge or end of the base. Each bar is inserted into the base and then rivetted in position by rivets 15. 9. The base suports the seat portion and the posts are formed hollow so that rivets can then be used to fasten the seat portion through holes 10, the rivets 11 securely holding the seat portion 3 to the base. 20. The rivets 11 can also have press stud components to allow a suitable padded seat cover or the like to be positioned over the seat portion. The seat portion can be formed or moulded of any suitable material, one suitable material being one of the foamed plastic 25. materials which gives the required strength with light weigh . On each of the bars adjacent the end of the recess 7 there is provided a clip 13 having a generally circular portion 14 which generally surrounds the bar 8, the clip having a leg portion 15 5. joined by a portion 16 to the circular portion 14-. The leg portion 15 has serrations or teeth 17 on its outside edge. As shown in FIG. 4- the seat belt 18 is passed through the gap between the two bars 8 then slipped around to engage behind the clip 13. The clip 10. 13 is then pushed upwardly by its leg 15 to engage the portion of the seat belt 18 against the underside of the recess top or to secure the seat belt in position. It will thus be seen that the conventional seat belt fitted to the vehicle is thus passed on each side 15. through the space between the bars 8 and the recess and then on tightening the seat belt and pushing the clip upwardly that the booster seat is then held in position irrespective of whether the seat belt buckle is done up or not. As is shown in FIG. 1 it will be 20. seen that the vehicle seat belt then passes upwardly along each side of the booster seat and over the lap of the child and thus brings the effective anchorage point of the seat belf from its widely spaced position for an adult to the narrower position for the child. 25. Where the seat belt 18 is of the form where the buckle is attached to a relatively rigid stem anchored to the floor of the vehicle, then the loop 19 which is attached to the bar on each side can be given two or three twists, passed over the buckle 20 and onto the 30. stem 21 and on releasing of the loop, the twist will cause the loop to be effectively held beneath the buckle and thus the booster seat will be anchored on this side of the booster seat. It will thus be seen that according to the invention that the booster seat has provision for anchoring of the seat by the conventional seat belt arrangement on the vehicle, and has means to allow the 5. anchoring irrespective of whether the seat belt is by belts on both sides or whether the clip of the seat belt has to fasten into a buckle which is mounted on a relatively rigid stem anchored to the floor of the vehicle. 10. Thus the seat belt is anchored, and in so doing the seat belts pass up past the sides of the booster seat and over the lap of the child and thus effectively brings in the anchorage points of the seat belt to a distance suitable for holding the child so 15. that the child is securely held and is less likely to slip out of the seat belt. It will thus be seen that the booster seat can be constructed in a simple and economical manner by having the base portion and the seat portion formed 20. separately, and before the seat portion is inserted that the bars can be slipped in position and rivetted to securely anchor the bars in the seat portion. While the base and the seat portion are preferably moulded or formed from any of the suitable 25. plastics materials, it will be realised that other materials can be used and also that various padded cushions or the like can be attached to the seat portion to make this comfortable for the child and which can be of any material and colour and the like 30. to suit the decor of the vehicle. Although one form of the invention has been described it is to be realised that for example other forms of clip means could be provided to anchor the seat belt against the booster seat to hold it in position, and that other forms could be provided for the bars so that the seat belt could pass around these bars to anchor the booster seat but that it is not restricted to the particular form and configuration of these bars. > • _• - j~ < -£____ . " -•'.-I1J.OU

Claims: THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:- 1. A child's booster seat for a vehicle having a seat a seat belt, said booster seat including means to anchor the booster seat to said seat belt and adjust the seat belt for the child. 2. A child's booster seat as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to anchor the booster seat brings the seat belt up the sides of the booster seat to pass over the lap of the child. 3. A child's booster as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that said means to anchor the booster seat includes a member fixed to said booster seat and spaced from the base thereof to permit said seat belt to pass between said fixed member and said base and up the side of the booster seat and over the lap of the child. 4. A child's booster seat as defined in claim 3 characterised in that said fixed member comprises a bar anchored to said base and having means to permit the belt to be passed through said space. 5. A child's booster as defined in claim 3 or claim 4 characterised by a clip on said fixed member to clamp said belt against said base. 6. A child's booster as defined in claim 3 including a loop fixed to said bar to be looped over a fixed stem of a seat belt. 7. A child's booster seat as defined in any one of the preceding claims characterised by said seat comprising a base and a seat portion, said base being formed of a rigid plastics material and said seat 5. portion formed of a foam plastics material. 8. A child's booster seat as defined in claim 7 wherein said base includes a plurality of hollow upstanding stems, said seat portion being rivetted to said hollow upstanding stems. 9. A child's booster seat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 9th day of October, 1980. JOHN PATRICK ETTRIDGE, By his Patent Attorneys, COLLISON & CO.

Inventors: ETTRIDGE J
Applicants: ETTRIDGE J
Application year: 1980
Main classification: B60N1
IPC codes: B60N2