Abstract:
The seat portion of a rearward facing child safety seat has static rear part and a movable front part which is movable between a deployed position in which its upper surface is contiguous with that of the rear part and a stowed position leaving an opening in front of the rear part for receiving the legs of an older child occupying the child seat with his knees bent and his feet positioned below the level of the static rear part.

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to a child safety seat of the type adapted to be positioned in a rearward facing orientation on a vehicle seat and having a seat body and a support member adapted to abut against the seat back of the vehicle seat, the seat body comprising a seat portion and a backrest. 
     RELATED ART 
     A child safety seat of this type is described in EP-A-751035. Continued use of known seats of this type as a child grows, is limited by abutment of the child&#39;s feet against the vehicle seat back. One solution for this problem is to increase the distance between the vehicle seat back and the child seat body. However, this has the disadvantage of reducing the distance between the child&#39;s head and the structure of the vehicle in front of the vehicle seat on which the child seat is positioned. In addition, this has the result of increasing the length of belt required when the child seat is secured to the vehicle seat using the vehicle seat belt. A further disadvantage is that parents may be tempted to alleviate the problem by setting the child&#39;s seat in a more upright position. This can be uncomfortable and, in extreme cases, risk damage to the child&#39;s spine. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, in a child safety seat of the type described above, the seat portion has a static rear part and a movable front part which is movable between a deployed position in which its upper surface is contiguous with that of the rear part and a stowed position leaving an opening in front of the rear part for receiving the legs of an older child occupying the child seat with his knees bent and his feet positioned below the level of the static rear part. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a child safety seat in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, looking forwardly from the rear of the vehicle in which it is used, with the seat configured for use by a young child; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line  2 — 2  in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the seat shown in FIG. 1 with its movable panel in its deployed position; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line  2 — 2  but with the movable panel in its stowed position, for use by an older child; 
     FIG. 5 is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 1, but th thy movable panel in its stowed position; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line  6 — 6  in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, of a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 7, of a third embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 3, of a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, of a fifth embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, of a sixth embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of the seat shown in FIG. 11 without a seat occupant; 
     FIG. 13 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 11, but with the movable panel in its stowed position; 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, of a seventh embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 15 is a sectional view, similar to FIG.  4  of an eighth embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 16 is a front view of a ninth embodiment of the invention, with a folding movable panel in its deployed position; 
     FIG. 17 is a scrap view of the movable panel of FIG. 16 illustrating its movement through its stowed position; 
     FIG. 18 is a front view, similar to FIG. 16, but with the sable panel in its stowed position; 
     FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seat shown in FIG. 18; and 
     FIGS. 20 to  22  are views similar to FIG. 17, showing alternative ways of folding the movable panel. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a child safety seat comprises a seat body  10  in the form of a moulded shell having seat portion  12 , a backrest  14 , and side walls  16  and  18 . The seat body  10  is mounted on a base  20  which rests on the seat portion  22  of a vehicle seat and has two limbs  24  and  26  which abut against the vehicle seat back  28 . The child seat is shown as occupied by a relatively young child  30  whose feet  32  rest on a front part  34  of the seat portion  12  of the child seat body  10 . 
     As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front part of the seat portion  12  comprises a panel  34  which is pivotable about its rear edge between a deployed position in which it forms a forward continuation of the static rear part  35  of the seat portion  12 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a stowed position shown in FIGS. 4 to  6  in which it lies on top of the static part  35  so as to leave an opening  36  between the two side walls  16  and  18 , the movement to the latter position being shown by the arrow  38 . As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, when the panel  34  is in its stowed position, an older child  40  can sit on the seat body  10  with his knees  42  bent and his feet  44  below the seat portion  12 . 
     FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which the pivotable panel  34  is replaced by a sliding panel  46  which is movable between a deployed position in which it covers the opening  36  and a stowed position in which it is positioned on top of the seat portion  12 , as illustrated by the arrow  48 . In a variant of this embodiment, the panel  46  is arranged to slide to a stowed position below the seat portion  12 . 
     FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the invention in which the pivoting panel  34  is arranged to pivot to a stowed position below the seat portion  12  instead of above it, the movement being illustrated by the arrow  50 . 
     FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention in which the side walls  16  and  18  of the seat shell only extend as far from the backrest as the edge of the static rear part  35  of the seat portion  12 . In this embodiment the movable portion is in two parts  60  and  62  each of which is mounted on a respective pivot pin  64  which, in turn, projects radially from a respective stub axle  66 . Each stub axle  66  projects laterally just above the level of the static seat portion  12 . Each of the panels  60  and  62  can pivot from its deployed position to a vertical position on its pivot pin  64 , as illustrated by the arrow  68 , until it is aligned with a respective opening  72  in the corresponding side wall  16 ,  18 . The panels  60  and  62  can then pivot about their stub axles  66 , as illustrated by the arrow  70 , so as to be stowed within openings  72  in the side walls  16  and  18 . The panel  60  is shown in solid lines in its stowed position and in dotted lines in its deployed position. Alternatively, the panels  60  and  62  may be stowed inside or outside the shell  14 . 
     The embodiment of FIG. 10 differs from that of FIG. 9 in that the two front panels  74  and  76  are mounted so as to slide into the openings  72 , as illustrated by the arrow  77 , after pivoting to vertical positions in alignment with their respective openings  72  as illustrated by the arrow  68 . 
     FIGS. 11 to  13  show another embodiment in which the front part of the seat portion  12  comprises a movable panel  78  comprising a set of transverse slats interconnected by hinges so that the panel is flexible in the transverse direction of the seat. When the panel  78  is to be moved to its stowed position, it slides on top of the rear part of the seat portion  12  and the older child  40  sits on top of this sliding panel  78 , as shown in FIG.  13 . Alternatively, the panel  78  may slide underneath the rear part of the seat portion  12 . 
     The panel  78  may be formed as a blow-moulding with bridges of reduced thickness forming integral hinges between the slats. Alternatively, the slats may be secured to a fabric layer by adhesive, the fabric forming the hinges. 
     FIG. 14 shows another embodiment in which the front part of the seat portion  12  comprises a rigid detachable panel  80  which can be stowed in a slot  82  in the base  20  of the child seat  10  when the seat is used by an older child  40 . If desired, the panel  80  can be pulled part way out so as to project between the base  20  and the vehicle seat back  28  and thus protect the seat portion  22  of the vehicle seat from the child&#39;s feet  44 . 
     FIG. 15 shows yet another embodiment having a detachable panel  80 , similar to the correspondingly numbered panel in FIG. 14, which is secured to the child seat body  10  by a flexible cord  84 . When the seat shown in FIG. 15 is being used by an older child, the panel  80  is clipped on to the outside of the backrest  14 . 
     FIG. 16 shows a child seat  86 , occupied by a young child  30 , which differs from the child seat  10  in that the front part of its seat portion  12  comprises a panel having a central region  88  and two side flaps  90  and  92  which can be folded inwardly as illustrated in FIG.  17 . When the seat  86  is to be occupied by an older child  40  as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the two flaps  90  and  92  are folded inwards so as to lie on top of the central region  88  which is lowered and slid into an opening  94  in the base  20 . Alternatively the flap  88  can be left partially projecting from the opening  94 , so as to serve as a footrest in a similar manner to that described with reference to FIG.  14 . 
     Instead of folding upwardly on to the top of the central region  88 , as shown in FIG. 17, the side flaps  90  and  92  may be arranged to slide below the central region  88  as shown in FIG.  20 . Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the front panel for the seat  86  may have a central region formed in two parts  94  and  96  interconnected by a central longitudinal hinge  98  which allow the parts  94  and  96  to fold downwards. The side flaps  90  and  92  are connected to the edges of the central parts  94  and  96  by hinges so as to be drawn towards one another as the central parts  94  and  96  fold downwards. 
     A child safety seat in accordance with any of the embodiments of the invention may be secured in place on a vehicle seat using a vehicle seat belt. Alternatively, it may be secured in place by using separate straps or by using rigid anchorages, as described in EP-A-0619201.