Abstract:
A child car seat is designed for attachment to an automobile seat. The child car seat includes two sets of restraining guides through which a belt is threaded to install the child car seat to the automobile seat. One set of restraining guides is for positioning the child car seat to the automobile seat in a forward-facing orientation, and another set is for a rearward-facing orientation. The installation belt has two ends and an intermediate region extending between the ends. A length adjustor is engaged to the intermediate region, and a fastener is attached to each belt end. Each fastener detachably connects to cooperating devices on an automobile seat.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     (Not Applicable) 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     (Not Applicable) 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     (Not Applicable) 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to the field of automobile seats, and more particularly is directed to a strap apparatus used to secure a child car seat to an automobile seat. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Children require furniture that is modified for a child&#39;s anatomical characteristics, so that the child is safe and secure when placed in a seat or bed. One example of such furniture is a seat adapted for transporting a child in an automobile. It is well known that a parent or guardian is legally required to secure a child in a child car seat when transporting the child in an automobile. The main purpose of the child car seat is to provide a seat belt modified for a child&#39;s anatomy, so that the child is secured in the event of an automobile crash, when the momentum from the moving automobile is transferred to the unsecured bodies within the automobile. 
     A conventional child car seat is designed to detachably connect to an automobile passenger seat. The attachment of the conventional child car seat to the automobile passenger seat is through cooperation between structures both on the child car seat and on a conventional seat belt found on the automobile passenger seat. The conventional child car seat is formed with structures for receiving the conventional seat belt in a manner that secures the conventional child car seat in a position relative to the automobile passenger seat. 
     Specifically, the conventional child car seat has guides to restrain the conventional seat belt. One pair of belt restraining guides receives the conventional seat belt for positioning the conventional child car seat in the forward-facing orientation and another set for the rearward-facing orientation, relative to the automobile passenger seat. Typically, belt restraining guides are formed as openings through a region of the conventional child car seat during the injection-molding process. 
     The conventional seat belt on the automobile passenger seat has a conventional seat belt fastener. The conventional fastener is formed by a press-release buckle component on one portion of seat belt that receives a tongue component on another portion of seat belt. A belt length adjuster included on the buckle design permits a user to alter the length of the seat belt. 
     In the operation of the conventional child car seat, the child car seat is first positioned in either the forward-facing or rearward-facing orientation, relative to the automobile passenger seat. Then, one portion of the seat belt existing on the automobile passenger seat is threaded through either set of belt restraining guides. Next, the fastener component on the threaded portion is engaged to the other fastener component to secure the child car seat on the automobile passenger seat. Finally, the seat belt length is adjusted to tighten down the child car seat on the automobile passenger seat. 
     Recent law requires child car seats to include a permanently attached, separate installation belt for installing the child car seat on the automobile passenger seat. The separate installation belt does not attach to the conventional seat belt on the automobile seat. Rather, the separate installation belt has fasteners, requiring the automobile to have cooperating members to which the fasteners reversibly attach. 
     The separate installation belt ensures that the parent or guardian has a completely functional unit for installing the child car seat and is not deterred from properly installing the child car seat by the process associated with using the conventional seat belt as the installation belt. The process associated with using the conventional seat belt as the installation belt includes the steps of locating the conventional seat belt, adjusting the length, threading it through the desired set of restraining guides, and again adjusting the length to tighten down the child car seat on the automobile seat. 
     As a solution to the requirement for a permanently attached, separate installation belt, prior art designs attach an installation belt to each of the belt restraining guides. If the conventional child car seat has one set of belt restraining guides for the forward-facing orientation and another set for the rearward-facing orientation, then two installation belts must be permanently attached to the child car seat. This is because each installation belt has a specific length for positioning the child car seat in a respective orientation. A user is not permitted to simply remove the installation belt from permanent attachment to the set of belt restraining guides and alter the belt length for use in the other set of belt restraining guides, as such task requires detachment of the installation belt from the child car seat. Using two installation belts results in an added expense over using the seat belt existing on an automobile passenger seat. 
     Prior art designs have included child car seats having installation belts that thread through restraining guides for forward-facing or rearward-facing orientation with respect to the automobile passenger seat, or may include the permanent attachment of the installation belts to the child car seat. Examples of such designs are shown in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,310 B1 issued Feb. 27, 2001 to Batalaris et al. on a “Child car seat adapted for frontward and rearward facing configurations”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,087 issued Jan. 25, 2000 to Anthony et al. on a “Child restraint with a rotary coupling”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,654 issued Aug. 25, 1998 to Stroud on a “Belt buckle/tether strap for a booster car seat”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,982 issued on Nov. 9, 1999 to Nakagawa on a “Child seat”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,243 issued on Dec. 9, 1997 to Anthony et al. on a “Child seat mount with anti-twist web mechanism”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,645 issued May 20, 1997 to Lumley et al. on a “Safety seat tether strap”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,044 issued on Nov. 14, 1995 to Barley et al. on a “Child safety seat”, and; U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,708 issued on Jan. 24, 1995 to Nagasaka et al. on a “Child seat and anchoring structure for mounting the child seat onto vehicle seat”. 
     In summary, the prior art child car seat technology has the disadvantage of requiring two permanently attached installation belts. This results in an added expense for the consumer, as well as an awkwardly bulky child car seat due to the constant presence of an installation belt that is not in use. Any child car seat must satisfy the legal requirement for permanently attachment to the child car seat, but it is desirable to avoid the added expense of needing two installation belts. 
     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to eliminate the added expense by eliminating the need for two permanently attached installation belts. 
     The present invention eliminates the added expense of needing two installation belts and satisfies the required structural standards for permanent attachment. The applicant invented a child car seat having a single installation belt that is permanently attached to the child car seat by a tether. In addition, the installation belt has an adjustable length and can be used in either set of belt restraining guides. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an improved child car seat, the improvement being only one installation belt designed to accomplish the role of two installation belts but still meeting the requirement of permanent attachment to the child car seat. In this invention, a single installation belt is used for positioning the child car seat in either the forward-facing orientation or the rearward-facing orientation on an automobile seat. The installation belt is permanently attached to the child car seat by a tether having one end attached to the installation belt and another end attached to the child car seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a left rear angle perspective of an apparatus embodying the present invention and utilizing parts in the operation of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the preferred embodiment of the tethered installation belt shown attached to the child car seat illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an alternative embodiment of the tethered installation belt shown in FIGS. 1,  5 , and  6 . 
     FIG. 4 is a left rear angle perspective of the apparatus embodying the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of an infant carrier bed having the installation belt illustrated in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of a base end of the infant carrier bed having the installation belt illustrated in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a side angle view of the preferred embodiment of the belt storage receptacle that is attached to the child car seat, as illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the storage receptacle. 
     FIG. 9 is a side angle view of the preferred embodiment of the fastener. 
    
    
     In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents, which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus embodying the invention. The child car seat  10  has a front  10   a , a back  10   b , and armrests  10   c . The child car seat  10  is typically made of a durable polymer. The child car seat  10  has a pair of forward belt restraining guides  12  to hold fast an installation belt  18  for securing the child car seat  10  in a forward-facing orientation relative to an automobile passenger seat. The forward belt restraining guides  12  are duplicate passageways, one through each of the twin parallel longitudinal structures  10   d  that support the back  10   b  of the child car seat  10  against the back rest of the automobile passenger seat. A pair of rearward belt restraining guides  14  holds fast the installation belt  18  for securing the child car seat  10  in a rearward-facing orientation relative to the automobile passenger seat. The rearward belt restraining guides  14  are also duplicate passageways, one through the lower region of each armrest  10   c  on the child car seat  10 . Both pairs of the belt restraining guides  12  and  14  are formed on the child car seat  10  during the injection molding process. Alternatively, they can be constructed of tubular steel tubing. All passageways have dimensions large enough to permit the installation belt  18  to pass freely when being threaded. 
     The child car seat  10  includes an anchor point  16 . The anchor point  16  is preferably located on the back lower region of the child car seat  10 . The anchor point  16  may be a rivet, a bolt, or a similar permanent device. 
     The installation belt  18  has a belt first end  19  having a fastener  20  and a belt second end  17  having a fastener  20 . The installation belt  18  is illustrated in FIG. 2 as a continuous piece of material having a belt length adjuster  22  engaged to a belt intermediate region  24 . A belt excess portion  26  winds through and exits the belt length adjustor  22  and has a free end  28 . 
     The installation belt  18  is made of conventional seat belt material, which typically has a thickness that is substantially less than the width. Alternatively, the material may be any flexible load-bearing material such as steel cord, chain, or polymer. However, the material must yield to the belt length adjuster  22  that firmly engages the material, typically in an orientation that imposes a series of sharp bends on the material. The material must not be so rigid as to splinter, or be so flexible as to become entangled, when passing through the belt length adjuster  22 . 
     Also, the material composing the installation belt  18  must withstand folding. This is because the preferred structure for attaching the fastener  20  includes the belt ends  19  and  17  threaded through a slot  25  on a respective fastener  20  and folded back for attachment to the belt intermediate region  24 . The material must not fracture when the belt ends  19  and  17  are permanently attached to the belt intermediate region  24  by stitches or some other penetrating attachment structure, such as a rivet. FIG. 9 illustrates the preferred structure for attaching the belt ends  17  and  19  to the slot  25  on the fastener  20 . 
     The belt length adjuster  22  is preferably engaged to the belt intermediate region  24 . Alternatively, the belt length adjuster  22  may be included as a portion of the fastener  20 . The belt length adjuster  22  has the conventional design typically employed for altering the length of a conventional seat belt. The installation belt  18  is shortened when a user tugs the free end  28  to draw an amount of the belt intermediate region  24  through the belt length adjuster  22 , thereby causing the amount to become part of the belt excess portion  26 . Likewise, the installation belt is lengthened when the user tugs the belt intermediate region  24  to draw an amount of the belt excess portion  26  through the belt length adjuster  22 , thereby causing the amount to become part of the belt intermediate region  24 . 
     The installation belt  18  is permanently moored to the child car seat  10 . A tether  30  serves the purpose of permanently mooring the installation belt  18  to the child car seat  10 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . The tether  30  may be a nylon cord. Alternatively, a chain, a rope, a spring, or a similar flexible load-bearing device may serve as the tether  30 . The tether  30  may be made from the same material as the installation belt  18 . In addition, the tether  30  may be made from material that includes an elastomeric component to enable the tether  30  to stretch. 
     The tether  30  extends between a tether first end  32  and a tether second end  34 . The length of the tether  30  must permit the attached installation belt  18  to be positioned in either pair of belt restraining guides  12  or  14 . The tether  30  may have slack, yet less slack when the installation belt  18  is in one pair of belt restraining guides compared to the amount of slack when the installation belt  18  is in the other pair of belt restraining guides. If the tether  30  is made from material that includes an elastomeric component, then there will be no slack in the tether  30  when the installation belt  18  is positioned for use. This is because the rubber component allows the length between the tether first end  32  and the tether second end  34  to increase due to stretching from the child car seat  10  to the positioned installation belt  18 . When the installation belt  18  is not positioned for use, the rubber component retracts, thereby causing the tether  30  to return to its original shorter length. 
     The tether first end  32  is permanently attached to the anchor point  16  on the child car seat  10 . The tether second end  34  is permanently attached to an anchor point  36  on the installation belt  18 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the anchor point  36  on the installation belt  18  is included on the belt length adjuster  22 . Both anchor points  16  and  36  may be a rivet, a bolt, or a similar permanent device. 
     An additional alternative embodiment for the anchor point  36  on the installation belt  18  includes the tether second end  34  attached to a ring having a center. The installation belt  18  is engaged to the ring in a manner allowing the belt intermediate region  24  to pass through the ring center. However, the fastener  20  at either belt end  17  or  19  is wider than the ring diameter, and the ring is prohibited from passing the fastener  20 . In this embodiment, the tether second end  34  is permanently attached to the installation belt  18  through the ring engagement, yet the tether second end  34  is mobile with respect to the belt intermediate region  24 . 
     An alternative embodiment for the installation belt  18  is illustrated in FIG.  3 . The installation belt  118  has a belt intermediate region  124 . A belt length adjustor  122  is engaged to the installation belt  118 . The belt intermediate region  124  is interrupted by the belt length adjuster  122  in a manner that forms an adjustable belt portion  80  and a non-adjustable belt portion  82 . The adjustable belt portion  80  has a first end  81  attached to the slot  25  on the fastener  20 , and a second end  83  engaged to the belt length adjuster  122 . An amount of the second end  83  winds through and exits the belt length adjustor  122  to form a belt excess portion  126  that serves as the tether  130 . A free end  128  of the belt excess portion  126  attaches to the anchor point  16  on the child car seat  10 . The non-adjustable belt portion  82  has a first end attached to the fastener  20  and a second end attached to the belt length adjuster  122 . 
     To shorten the installation belt  118 , the free end  128  of the belt excess portion  126  is tugged to draw an amount of the second end  83  through the length adjuster  122 , thereby decreasing the length of the adjustable belt portion  80  by the amount. To lengthen the installation belt  118 , the adjustable belt portion  80  is tugged to draw an amount of the belt excess portion  126  through the length adjuster  122 , thereby increasing the length of the adjustable belt portion  80  by the amount. The non-adjustable belt portion  82  has a fixed length extending between the first end attached to the fastener  20  and the second end attached to the belt length adjuster  122 . 
     In the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1, the child car seat  10  is shown with the installation belt  118  positioned for use in the forward belt restraining guides  12 . The belt intermediate region  124  has been threaded through the aligned, duplicate passageways of the twin parallel longitudinal structures  10   d  that support the back  10   b  of the child car seat  10  against the back rest of the automobile passenger seat. In FIG. 1, each fastener  20  is substantially opposite the other and is not attached to the respective cooperating loop structure on the automobile passenger seat. Only one rearward belt restraining guide  14  is visible in FIG.  1 . 
     In operation of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1, a user physically threads the installation belt  118  through the passageways of the forward belt restraining guides  12 . The user grasps a fastener  20  on the installation belt  118 , and the user inserts the fastener  20  through one passageway on the child car seat  10 . Next, the user pulls the fastener  20  to draw the belt intermediate region  124  through the passageway. Then the user inserts the fastener  20  into the remaining passageway, and pulls the fastener  20  to draw the belt intermediate region  124  through the remaining passageway until the fasteners  20  are substantially opposite each other. Finally, the user attaches the child car seat  10  by connecting each fastener  20  to a respective cooperating loop structure on the automobile passenger seat. If necessary, the user secures the connection by altering the length of the installation belt  118  to tighten down the child car seat  10  on the automobile passenger seat. 
     FIG. 5 shows the installation belt  118  anchored to an infant carrier bed  60 . The infant carrier bed  60  has a pair of side belt restraining guides  212  and a pair of rear belt restraining guides  214 . An anchor point  216  on the outer face of a wall  230  is located substantially midway between the pair of side belt restraining guides  212 . A free end  128  of the belt excess portion  126  is permanently attached to the anchor point  216  to moor the installation belt  118  to the infant carrier bed  60 . 
     FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment in which the inner region of an infant carrier bed  460  has an anchor point  416 . The infant carrier bed  460  has a pair of belt restraining guides  414  formed on a wall  430  at a region near the anchor point  416 . FIG. 6 shows the installation belt  118  attached to the anchor point  416  on the inner region base of the infant carrier bed  460 . FIG. 6 also shows the installation belt  118  threaded into the pair of belt restraining guides  414  on the wall  430  at the same end as the anchor point  416 . 
     A user physically threads the installation belt  118  into either set of the belt restraining guides  212  or  214  on the infant carrier bed  60 . The user grasps a fastener  20  on the installation belt  118  and inserts the fastener  20  through one passageway. Then the user pulls the fastener  20  to draw the belt intermediate region  124  through the one passageway. Next, the user grasps and inserts the other fastener  20  through the remaining passageway and pulls the fastener  20  to draw the belt intermediate region  124  through the remaining passageway. Finally, the user attaches the infant carrier bed  60  to the automobile passenger seat by connecting each fastener  20  to the respective cooperating loop structure on the automobile passenger seat. The user secures the infant carrier bed  60  by altering the length of the installation belt  118  to tighten down the infant carrier bed  60  on the automobile passenger seat. 
     When not in use, the installation belt  18  is housed in a storage receptacle  50  included on the child car seat  10 . The storage receptacle  50  is permanently attached to the child car seat  10  and has a portion defining a belt storage area  52 . FIG. 7 illustrates the preferred embodiment for the storage receptacle  50 , in which the anchor point  516  for the tether first end  32  is included on the storage receptacle  50 . The storage receptacle  50  is typically made of a rigid material, such as the polymer composing the child car seat  10 . Alternatively, the storage receptacle  50  may be a pouch made of flexible netting, having a drawstring around the pouch upper perimeter. 
     In an additional alternative embodiment for the storage receptacle  50 , a storage receptacle  350  has a fastener attachment slot  354  and an anchor point  316 . The fastener attachment slot  354  is formed to receive the fastener  20  as shown in FIG.  8 . The portion of the storage receptacle  350  having the fastener attachment slot  354  is angled away from the child car seat  10 , so the attached fastener  20  is sufficiently spaced from the storage receptacle  350  to allow the user to easily grasp the fastener  20 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 9, the fastener  20  has a hook  21 , a flexible pawl  23 , and a slot  25 . An end of the flexible pawl  23  rests against a tip of the hook  21 , and an opposite end of the flexible pawl  23  is fixed to a portion of the fastener region near the slot  25 . The fastener  20  is typically made of a hard metal or rigid polymer. The slot  25  receives the ends  17  and  19  of the installation belt  18 . The ends  17  and  19  are slightly wider than the slot  25  to prohibit shifting when the ends  17  and  19  are attached to the slot  25 . 
     Alternatively, the fastener  20  may be a press-release buckle from a conventional seat belt. A typical press-release buckle engages a tongue structure on the automobile seat to form a detachable connection. Pushing a button on the press-release buckle causes the tongue to be released from the buckle. 
     In operation of the preferred embodiment for the fastener  20 , a user contacts the flexible pawl and the cooperating loop structure on the automobile seat, which is typically a metal loop attached between the passenger seat back and base. The user moves the metal loop along the flexible pawl  23  to the end that rests against the tip of the hook  21 . Then the user applies pressure to cause the flexible pawl  23  to leave contact with the tip of the hook  21 , thereby causing the metal loop to be snagged by the hook. The pawl returns to the original position, in contact with the tip of the hook  21 . The metal loop is retained on the hook until the user again causes the flexible pawl  23  to lose contact with the tip of the hook  21 , thereby causing the metal loop to be released from the fastener  21 . 
     While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.