Child's seat

Abstract: A child's seat comprising a back support, a seat and interconnectable belts. The seat is provided with at least one storage element, to which a belt, which has been disconnected from the other belts, can be detachably attached. The storage element is positioned outside the part of the child's seat on which or against which a child being placed in the seat sits or rests.

Description: The invention relates to a child's seat comprising a back support, a seat and interconnectable belts (see, for example, US-A-4,685,741, corresponding to the preamble of claim 1 and acknowledged in more detail below.) In a similar child's seat known from European Patent Application EP-A1-0 295 838 two belts are laid over the child's shoulders upon placing the child in the child's seat, after which the belts are connected to a buckle by means of so-called belt tongues. The belt is fixed to the seat near the child's crotch by means of a belt. A drawback of such a known seat is the fact that the belts and the belt tongues connected thereto lie loose in the seat prior to placing the child in the seat. As a result of this the child will be positioned on top of the belts, after which the belts must be removed from under the child, or an adult engaged in placing the child in the seat must first arrange the belts so that the child can be placed in the seat without impediment. The object of the invention is to provide a child's seat wherein the above drawbacks are avoided. This objective is accomplished with the child's seat according to the invention in that the at least one storage element of said child's seat is exclusively provided for detachable attachment of a disconnected belt to said at least one storage element, and in that said at least one storage element as well as in use the disconnected belt attached thereto are positioned outside a part of the child's seat that is occupied by the child present in the child's seat. The storage element must be disposed beyond the child's seat or back portion. By attaching the belt to the storage element, the belt is temporarily stored at a position which is known in advance. When a child is being secured in the child's seat, the belt is detached from the storage element, after which the belt can be connected to the other belts. When the child is being taken out of the seat, the belt is connected to the storage element by hand again. It is noted that from European Patent Application EP-A1-0 656 285 a child's seat is known wherein the belts can be stored near the shoulder portion by means of a retracting roll. A drawback of this arrangement is the fact that it causes the belts to be pulled against the back support, as a result of which the child will be positioned with its back against the belts upon being placed in the child's seat. In addition to that a mechanism of this type is relatively costly. Furthermore, from the already mentioned US-A-4,685,741 a child's seat is known with slots on the side supports for ensuring fixation of a child's seat to the underlying adult's seat. Although these slots can be used as a storage element, they are not intended for that purpose. Because they are intended to ensure fixation of the child's seat to the underlying adult's seat, the position of the slots with respect to the seat will be optimized in this respect. For use as storage element for a disconnected belt they are less suited due to the relatively low position of the slots, the direction in which the slots are opened and the dimensions of the slots. Furthermore, due to the form of the slots a disconnected belt attached thereto will easily become loose. By the child's seats according to the invention it is possible to optimize the form, position and dimensions of the storage element since the storage element is exclusively used for storage of a disconnected belt. The same holds true for the US-patent US-A-4,915,446 in which a child's seat with handles is disclosed. The handle can not be optimized for a belt storage element since it must be used to remove the complete seat from a base. In one embodiment of the child's seat the interconnectable belts comprise two side belts, which are each connected to the child's seat near a shoulder part with a first end and near the seat with a second end. The belts comprise a third central belt, which is connected to the child's seat near the centre of the seat with a first end, and which can be detachably connected to said side belts between said first and said second ends of said side belts with its second end. By a preferred embodiment of the child's seat, the child's seat is provided on either side of the side belts with a storage element, whereby each disconnected side belt can be detachably attached to one of said storage elements. In this manner the side belts can be readily stored near the sides of the child's seat, as a result of which a child being placed in the child's seat cannot sit with its back against the belts. By another embodiment of the child's seat said storage element is secured to a side support connected to the back support. Such a storage element is readily accessible, whilst the storage element will not impede the child present in the seat. By yet another embodiment of the child's seat said storage element is a hook. A hook can be formed on the seat in a simple manner, whereby the belt or the belt tongue connected to the belt can be suspended from the hook. It is noted that from US Patent US-A-3,992,056 a child's seat comprising hook-shaped slots 45, 47 is known. Said slots are intended for guiding the seat belt present in a car, however, and not for storing the belts provided in the child's seat. The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter with reference to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a child's seat according to prior art; Figure 2 shows a child's seat according to the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a storage element of a child's seat according to the invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the storage element shown in Figure 3. Like parts are numbered alike in the Figures. Figure 1 shows a child's seat 1 known per se, which comprises a seat 2 and a back support 3 connected thereto. Back support 3 is on either side bounded by side supports 4. Child's seat 1 is provided with two shoulder belts 5, which are connected to a tensioning belt 7 via openings 6 in back support 3. Tensioning belt 7 is passed through a clamping device 8 with an end remote from belts 5, by means of which clamping device tensioning belt 7 can be fixed in a desired position. Belts 5 are connected to seat 2 of child's seat 1 with their ends 9 remote from tensioning belt 7. Each belt 5 is provided with a so-called belt tongue 10, which is positioned between the first end of belt 5, which is located near the shoulder part, and the second end of belt 5, which is located near the seat, and which can be detachably connected to a buckle 11. Buckle 11 is connected to seat 2 of child's seat 1 by means of two central belts 12. Buckle 11 is provided with a pushbutton 13, by means of which belt tongues 10 can be disconnected from buckle 11. After being disconnected from buckle 11, belts 5 and the belt tongues 10 connected thereto lie on seat 2 and against back support 3 of child's seat 1. When a child is being placed in child's seat 1, the child will be positioned on top op belts 5, or an adult engaged in placing the child in the child's seat will have to see to it that belts 5 are removed from under the child. Figure 2 shows a child's seat according to the invention, which is provided on either side of back support 3 with side supports 4, whereby each side support 4 is provided with a storage element 14, which will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 3. Storage element 14 is preferably positioned on side support 4 of the child's seat at a level between said first and said second end of belt 5. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a part of the side support 4 of child's seat 1 according to the invention, which is provided with a storage element 14. Storage element 14 comprises a hook 15 formed on side support 4, which hook comprises a spacer 16, which extends transversely to side support 4, and a plate-shaped part 17. Plate-shaped part 17 is connected to spacer 16 on a side remote from side support 4. Hook 15 and side supports 4 can be formed in one piece from plastic material. The entire child's seat 1 is upholstered with a material 18, which extends over side supports 4, with hook 15 projecting through said material. Figure 4 is a side view of the storage element 14 that is shown in Figure 2. After belt tongue 10 has been disconnected from buckle 11, belt 5 is slid into hook 15 in a direction indicated by arrow P1, thus removing belt 5 from that part of child's seat 1 on which the child is seated or against which it rests with its back. It is also possible to suspend belt tongue 10 from hook 15. Furthermore it is possible to provide belt 5 and upholstery 18 of child's seat locally with mating velcro portions instead of providing a hook 5. Furthermore it is possible to provide belt 5 with a press fastener and to provide the child's seat with a counterpart which co-acts with said press fastener. Said counterpart must be mounted on child's seat 1 at such a location that belt 5 will no longer be positioned on seat 2 after the counterpart has been connected to the press fastener. It is also possible to provide a magnet on an edge of the child's seat, to which the metal belt tongue can be attached by magnetic force. Furthermore it is possible to provide a slot in an edge of the child's seat, into which a belt tongue can be inserted.

Claims: A child's seat (1) comprising a back support (3), a seat (2), interconnectable belts (5, 12) and at least one storage element (14), characterized in that said at least one storage element (14) of said child's seat (1) is exclusively provided for detachable attachment of a disconnected belt (5) to said at least one storage element (14), and in that said at least one storage element (14) as well as in use the disconnected belt (5) attached thereto are positioned outside a part of the child's seat (1) that is occupied by the child present in the child's seat (1). A child's seat (1) according to claim 1, wherein the interconnectable belts (5, 12) comprise two side belts (5), which are each connected to the child's seat (1) near a shoulder part with a first end and near the seat (2) with a second end (9), which belts comprise a third central belt (12), which is connected to the child's seat (1) near the centre of the seat (2) with a first end, and which can be detachably connected to said side belts (5) between said first and said second ends of said side belts (5) with its second end, characterized in that the child's seat (1) is provided on either side of the side belts (5) with a storage element (14), whereby each disconnected side belt (5) can be detachably attached to one of said storage elements (14). A child's seat (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said storage element (14) is secured to a side support (4) connected to said back support (3). A child's seat (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said storage element (14) is a hook (15). A child's seat (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said belt and said storage element are provided with mating velcro parts. A child's seat (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said belt and said storage element are provided with a press fastener system. A child's seat (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said seat is provided with at least one magnet, whilst said belt is provided with a metal belt tongue or a metal element, which can be connected to said magnet by magnetic force. A child's seat (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the seat or the seat upholstery is provided with a slot, into which a belt tongue provided on the belt can be inserted.

Inventors: RIJSDIJK GERT ARIEN LUC, RIJSDIJK, GERT ARIEN LUC
Applicants: MAXI MILIAAN BV, MAXI MILIAAN B.V.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B60N2
IPC codes: B60N2