Abstract:
A child restraint system for use in a vehicle. The restraint includes a harness having a pair of webs extending over and adjacent the child&#39;s chest and through a pair of soft socks adjustable along the length of each web. The bottom of each sock includes a rigid base having a slot through which the web extends limiting twisting movement of each web. A quick disconnect connector is pivotally connected to each base allowing the webs extending through the socks to conformingly fit against the child while lateral movement of the webs is limited.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is in the field of vehicle child seat integrated into a vehicle passenger seat or separate therefrom and more specifically, a child seat having a connecting device to removably secure the seat harness webs together. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A child restraint system may be integrated or built into a vehicle passenger seat or may be included within a child seat restable upon the vehicle seat. A variety of different types of harness systems are available such as disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,286,090 and 5,031,962. Typically, the restraint system includes a pair of webs extendable downwardly over the shoulders and against the chest of the child to a pair of tongues or a single tongue, in turn, lockingly engaged with a buckle secured to the seat. In order to position the webs together across the child&#39;s chest, quick disconnect connectors are utilized such as shown in the commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,946. 
     In order to increase the comfort of the child, soft tubes or socks are available through which the webs are extended. The socks may be adjustably positioned along the length of each web and have an outer soft surface positioned between each web edge and the child&#39;s neck. Such socks provide an attractive appearance for the harness and the seat combination. 
     Instead of requiring separate positioning of both the web socks as well as the quick disconnect connectors securing the webs together, it is desirable to provide a combined multi-sock and web connector thereby reducing the number of steps required to adjust the harness to the particular child. Likewise, such a combination is desirable to more securely hold the socks and connector at the desired location along the length of the webs while at the same time insuring that at least a portion of each web is parallel to each other thereby positioning the webs accurately across the child&#39;s chest. Disclosed herein is such a combined sock and connector combination. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device for restraining a child in a vehicle comprising a seat having a seat support and back support against which the child may rest. A harness is movably mounted to the seat and includes a pair of webs extendable over the shoulders and the chest of the child. The webs extend through a first anti web twist guide and a second anti web twist guide. A connector movably mounted to the anti web twist guides keep the webs apart. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved child vehicle restraint system. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a combined web guide and connector to limit lateral movement of one child restraint web relative to another child restraint web. 
     Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a child seat having a pair of restraint webs with the guide and connector combination incorporating the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the guide connector combination. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one of the guides looking in the direction of arrows 4--4 of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the connector and guide base. 
     FIG. 6 is a reduced cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. 
     FIG. 7 is a front view of a guide known in the prior art. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
     Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the preferred embodiment of seat 20 incorporating the guide connector combination. Seat 20 includes a bottom portion 21 and back portion 22 upon and against which the child rests. A pair of webs 23 and 24 extend through slots 25 and 26 provided in back portion 22 and have first opposite ends secured behind or beneath the seat. Likewise, the second opposite ends of webs 23 and 24 extend through slots 27 and 28 of the seat and are fixedly secured thereto. A pair of seat belt buckle tongues 77 and 29 are slidably mounted respectively to each web 23 and 24 and are lockingly engageable with a seat belt buckle 30 attached to a web extending via slot 31 through the bottom portion 21 with the opposite end of the web being suitably mounted. Such a seat described is well known in the art and may be, for example, the seat disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,066, herewith incorporated by reference. The guide connector combination 32 is slidably mounted to webs 23 and 24 and is positionable along the length of the webs between slots 25-26 and tongues 28-29. The combination has a pair of identical socks 33 and 34 (FIG. 2) each having a fabric and flexible main body with respectively a rigid plastic bottom base 35 and 36 releasably connected together by means of a quick disconnect connector 37. 
     A prior art sock 38 is shown in FIG. 7 and includes a flexible and soft main body fixedly mounted to and extending upwardly from a rigid plastic base 39. Each sock 33, 34 and 38 define a tubular passage through which the web extends. For example, sock 33 includes tubular passage 40 (FIG. 3) slidably receiving web 23. One side 49 (FIG. 3) of the main body of sock 33 is enlarged and projects into passage 40 against web 23 thereby holding the sock to the web until sufficient force is applied between the sock and the web when adjusting the sock along the length of the web. Likewise, each base 35, 36 and 39 includes a slot through which the web extends. For example, base 35 (FIG. 4) has a slot 41 through which web 23 extends with the slot sized approximately the same dimensions as the web preventing the web from twisting. Each base 35, 36 and 39 includes a continuous oval shaped slot into which the bottom portion of the fabric sock main body extends and is secured thereto. For example, base 36 includes oval shaped slot 71 (FIG. 5) into which the bottom portion 53 (FIG. 2) of sock 34 extends being secured thereto by suitable means such as adhesive and/or fastening devices. The pair of slots 41 provided in the base wall of each base 35 and 36 prevent the webs from twisting. Each base includes an oval shaped exterior side wall and an oval shaped interior wall 70 which extend upwardly from the base bottom wall. The space between the interior wall and exterior wall defines the oval shape recess 71 into which the bottom end of the fabric portion of the sock extends and is fixed. Slot 41 is positioned inwardly of interior wall 70. Thus, each web 23 and 24 is located inwardly of each interior wall 70. 
     Quick disconnect connector 37 has a male member 42 (FIG. 6) extendable into and releasably lockable with a female member 43. Connector 37 is identical to the connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,946, which is herewith incorporated by reference, except for the outer end portions of male member 42 and female member 43. Thus, male member 42 includes a pair of arms 44 and 45 cantileverly mounted to the main body 46 of the male member. The inwardly turned distal ends 47 and 48 are contactable together as the arms are moved inwardly to the unlocked position. The arms are plastic and therefore may be moved inward from the normal position shown in FIG. 6. The distal ends of the arms limit the amount of inward movement of the arms; however, the arms do not contact post 49 positioned therebetween. As a result, the male member may be quickly and easily withdrawn from the female member without the distal ends of the arms contacting the post. The outwardly facing surfaces of the distal ends 47 and 48 are radiused and contact the interior surface of side walls 50 and 51 of female member 43 causing the arms to pivot inwardly as the male member is inserted into the female member. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,946, arms 44 and 45 each include a recess 52 and 53 for receiving the slotted side walls 51 and 50 of female member 43 when the male member is inserted into the female member. Side walls 50 and 51 have respectively slanted surfaces 54 and 55 arranged at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis 58 extending through the connector. 
     The connector illustrated in FIG. 6 is distinguishable from the connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,946 in that the outer end portions 56 and 57 respectively of male member 42 and female member 43 are pivotally or hingedly mounted to guide base 35 and 36 allowing each sock 33 and 34 to articulate relative to connector 37. Each sock has a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the pivot axis of the male and female members. That is, longitudinal axis 71 (FIG. 2) of guide 33 and longitudinal axis 72 of guide 34 are parallel to pivot axis 73 and pivot axis 74 (FIG. 6) extending centrally through respectively pivot pins 63 and 68 (FIG. 6). Base 35 (FIG. 2) includes a pair of spaced apart flanges 59 and 60 integrally attached thereto having outer ends which project into a pair of slots 61 and 62 (FIG. 6) of male member 42 being secured therein by pin 63. Likewise, sock base 36 includes a pair of spaced apart flanges 64 and 65 integrally attached thereto having outer distal ends positioned within slots 66 and 67 of female member 43 being secured thereto by pin 68. Thus, male member 42 is pivotally or hingedly mounted to the distal ends of flanges 59 and 60 whereas female member 43 is pivotally or hingedly mounted to the outer distal ends of flanges 64 and 65. 
     The guide sock combination 32 provides a pair of anti twist guides through which the pair of webs extend. The male and female members of the connector form a pair of connectors movably mounted to the base of each sock and when releasably mated together keep the webs 23 and 24 apart. Likewise, the tubular sock passages extend a fixed distance from the sock base or from the connectors thereby limiting lateral movement of one web relative to the other web so long as the male and female members are connected together. With the fabric portion of socks 33 and 34 positioned at approximately neck level, the webs will extend a fixed distance apart across the chest of the child with the webs then exiting the bottom of each sock base and extending to the respective tongues 28 and 29. The pivotal or hinge connection between the connector 37 and socks allow the webs to conform to the shape of the child as the child moves. Further, passages 40 and 41 are parallel when connector male member 42 is locked to connector female member 43 insuring that the portion of webs 23 and 24 which extend through the socks across the child are parallel. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.