Abstract:
An infant car seat with an adjustable base platform provides a variable angle of tilt for the seat. The base platform has a visual indicator showing the degree of tilt that has been selected. This visual indicator can include a clear plastic window in the base platform, through which a number or other symbol indicating the degree of tilt can be seen. The user can adjust the degree of tilt by depressing a button to disengage a locking mechanism, allowing the user to vary the degree of tilt until the desired degree of tilt is indicated on the visual indicator.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to an infant car seat, and in particular to an adjustable base platform for an infant car seat.  
         [0002]     The prior art includes infant seats, including car seats, having adjustable bases. Although some of the adjustable bases seen in the prior art feature a position indicator, most of these inform the user when the seat or base is in a level position. By employing a gravity ball, pendulum, lever with counterweight, or similar structure, these prior art bases can detect a level orientation and display an indication of such orientation to the user. This display indicator can be accomplished by providing some indicator surface, such as a ball or surface containing a colored region or other markings, that becomes visible through a transparent aperture when the level condition is achieved.  
         [0003]     There is a need for an adjustable base having a convenient positional indicator that indicates varying degrees of tilt. Unlike the prior art adjustable base indicators, which only indicate the level condition, the adjustable base of the present invention can indicate which one of a plurality of position settings has been selected. This allows the user to select tilt positions other than a level position for the car seat.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The present invention is directed to an infant car seat, and in particular to adjustable base platform for an infant car seat. In an embodiment of the present invention, the car seat comprises a seat member and a base unit that is capable of being removably coupled to the seat member. Alternatively, the seat member and base member can be integrally formed as one unit.  
         [0005]     It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide an adjustable base platform for an infant car seat, having a frame member; a wedge member affixed to the frame member along an axis parallel to one edge of the frame and wedge members, the wedge member being capable of rotating about the axis; a locking member capable of being positioned to prevent rotation of the wedge member about the axis; and an indicator for displaying a visual indication of the wedge&#39;s rotational position. In a detailed embodiment, the indicator comprises a curved lateral surface formed on the wedge member, and visible markings on the curved lateral surface. In a more detailed embodiment, the indicator further comprises a transparent window affixed to the frame member, the transparent window capable of revealing a portion of the visible markings on the curved lateral surface. The visible markings can comprise numerals, and a unique numeral can be visible through the transparent window corresponding to the rotational position of the wedge member or the angle of tilt in which the adjustable base platform or infant car seat is configured.  
         [0006]     In an alternative detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the wedge member includes a plurality of pairs of notches for engaging the locking member; and the locking member includes a wide portion and a narrow portion, the wide portion capable of engaging any one of the plurality of pairs of notches on the wedge member to prevent rotation of the wedge member about the axis. The locking member can include a surface capable of being depressed by a user, and at least one spring located between the frame member and the locking member, the spring being capable of restoring the locking member to its original position after being depressed by the user. In a more detailed embodiment, the locking member is originally positioned such that its wide portion is engaged with one of the plurality of pairs of notches on the wedge member to prevent rotation of the wedge member about the axis; and, upon depression of the locking member by the user, the locking member becomes positioned such that its wide portion is not engaged with any one of the plurality of pairs of notches on the wedge member, whereby the wedge member can rotate about the axis. These embodiments can be practiced with the same detailed embodiments as set forth in the preceding paragraph.  
         [0007]     It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide an infant car seat having a seat member; and a base member capable of being removably coupled to the seat member, where the base member includes a frame member; a wedge member affixed to the frame member along an axis parallel to one edge of the frame and wedge members, the wedge member being capable of rotating about the axis; a locking member capable of being positioned to prevent rotation of the wedge member about the axis; and an indicator for displaying a visual indication of the wedge&#39;s rotational position. This second aspect of the present invention can be practiced with the same embodiments as set forth in the preceding paragraphs with respect to the first aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the infant car seat and adjustable base platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the adjustable base platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a close-up view of the wedge member interfaced with the frame member of the adjustable base platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show the interaction of the locking member with the slot and notches on the lateral surface of the wedge member of the adjustable base platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show different positions of the wedge member that can achieve different degrees of tilt of the adjustable base platform and infant car seat according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     As seen in  FIG. 1 , the present invention is directed to an infant car seat, and in particular to adjustable base platform for an infant car seat. In an embodiment of the present invention, the car seat  10  comprises a seat member  12  and a base unit  14  that is capable of being removably coupled to the seat member  12 . In an alternative embodiment, the seat member and base member can be integrally formed as one unit.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the base unit  14 , which includes a frame member  16  and a wedge member  18 . The wedge member  18  contains a pin  20  on either end of its narrow end, and each of these pins  20  fits into a recess  22  on the frame member  16 , as shown more closely in  FIG. 3 , securing the wedge member to the frame member. The pins  20  allow the wedge member  18  to rotate about an axis  24  defined by the pins  20 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  also shows a locking member  26  that can lock the wedge member  18  into place, preventing rotation about the axis  24 . The locking member  26  has a wide portion  28  and a narrow portion  30 . These portions of the locking member  26  fit into a slot  32  in the lateral surface  31  of the wedge member  18  and can engage a series of pairs of notches  34  on the sides of the slot  32 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the slot  32  has three pairs of notches  34  along its sides, each pair of notches  34  consisting of two notches directly opposite each other on the sides of the slot  32 .  
         [0016]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show close-up views of the locking member  26  interacting with the slot  32  and notches  34  on the wedge member  18 . In  FIG. 4 , the wide portion  28  of the locking member  26  is engaged with a pair of notches  34 . The wide portion  28  has approximately the same width as the distance across the pair of notches  34 , and the wide portion  28  thus locks the wedge member  18  in place, preventing the wedge member from rotating. In  FIG. 5 , the wide portion  28  of the locking member  26  is not engaged with a pair of notches  34 . The wide portion  28  has been moved inside the lateral surface  31  of the wedge member  18 , and the narrow portion  30  of the locking member  26  now occupies the space inside the slot  32  between the pairs of notches  34 . Because the narrow portion has a width that is no wider than the slot  32 , the locking member  26  cannot engage the notches  34  in this position. Accordingly, when the locking member  26  is positioned as shown in  FIG. 5 , the wedge member  18  is free to rotate about the axis  24 .  
         [0017]     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the locking member  26  can include a push button surface  36  that is seated in an opening  38  in the frame member  16 . Springs  40  can be used to restore the locking member  26  to its original position after the user has depressed the locking member, and retainer hooks  42  hold the locking member  26  in place within the opening  38  in the frame member  16 .  
         [0018]     In this embodiment, the normal or “original” position for the locking member is that depicted in, and described above with reference to,  FIG. 4 , where the wide portion  28  of the locking member  26  is engaged with one of the pairs of notches  34  in the wedge member  18 . In this condition, the wedge member  18  is fixed with respect to the frame member  16  and cannot rotate about the axis  24 . If the user depresses the push button surface  36  of the locking member  26 , the locking member  26  will be moved to the position depicted in, and described above with reference to,  FIG. 5 , where the wide portion  28  of the locking member  26  is not engaged with one of the pairs of notches  34  in the wedge member  18 . In this condition, the wedge member  18  is free to rotate about the axis  24 . When the wedge member  18  has rotated to the desired position, the user can release the locking member  26 , and the springs  40  will restore the locking member to the “original” position, provided that a pair of notches  34  in the lateral surface  31  of the wedge member  18  is aligned with the locking member  26 . If a pair of notches  34  is not aligned with the locking member  26 , the wedge member  26  can be rotated slightly until a pair of notches  34  becomes aligned with the locking member  26 , at which point the locking member  26  will snap back into its “original” position, locking the wedge member  18  in this position. These discrete positions into which the wedge member can be locked in this manner will be determined by the number and spacing of the pairs of notches  34  on the wedge member  18 , and these possible discrete positions for the wedge member can be referred to as the “discrete positions.” 
         [0019]     In this manner, the user can adjust the tilt angle of the base unit  14  and seat member  12 .  FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate how different positions of the wedge member  18  produce different angles of tilt for the base unit  14 . In the position shown in  FIG. 6 , the wedge member  18  is completely retracted into the frame member  16 , and the front edge  44  of the wedge member  18  is approximately located in the plane of the bottom of the frame member  16 . In this configuration, the base unit  14  sits flat, with little or no tilt. In the position shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 3 , the wedge member  18  has been rotated so that its front edge  44  is below the plane of the bottom of the frame member  16 . In this configuration, the base unit  14  (and the car seat  12  attached to it) is tilted back relative to the position achieved by the configuration shown in  FIG. 6 . The tilt positions that can be achieved for the adjustable base unit or car seat in this manner will be discrete positions, determined by the number and spacing of the pairs of notches  34  on the wedge member  18 , as explained above.  
         [0020]     The embodiment of the present invention includes an indicator for displaying a visual indication of the tilt position. Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the wedge member  18  includes a curved lateral surface  46  to which visible markings  47  can be affixed. This curved lateral surface  46  lines up below a window  48  that fits into an opening  50  in the frame member  16 . Thus, a small portion of the curved lateral surface  46  is visible through the window  48  at any given position of the wedge member  18 . As the wedge member  18  is rotated, a different portion of the curved lateral surface  46  becomes visible through the window  48 . In an embodiment, the curved lateral surface  46  contains a plurality of markings, any one of which can be seen through the window  48  depending on the position of the wedge member  18  with respect to the frame member  16 . For each possible angle of tilt that can be produced by rotating the wedge member  18  relative to the frame member  16  until the locking member  26  restores to its original position, as described above, a different marking will be visible through the window  48 . Thus, the marking that is visible through the window  18  indicates to the user the degree of tilt of the base unit  14  or infant car seat  10 .  
         [0021]     In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the visible markings  47  include the numerals “1”, “2”, and “3”. One of these numerals can be visible through the window  48  when the wedge member  18  is locked into one of the discrete positions, as described above. In the configuration shown in  FIG. 6 , where the wedge member  18  is completely retracted into the frame member  16  and the base unit  14  sits flat with little or no tilt, the numeral “1” is visible through the window  48 . In the configuration shown in  FIG. 7 , where the wedge member  18  has been rotated so that its front edge  44  is below the plane of the bottom of the frame member  16  and the base unit  14  (and the car seat  12  attached to it) is tilted back, the numeral “3” is visible through the window  48 . Other configurations, achievable by positioning the wedge member in other discrete positions, can result in other numerals being visible through the window  48 , in various embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0022]     Having described the invention with reference to embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it not intended that any limitations or elements describing the embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the meanings of the claims unless such limitations or elements are explicitly listed in the claims. Likewise, it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims, since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and/or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein.