Abstract:
In order to facilitate child seat installment in a vehicle and to improve performance of a child seat during front impact vehicular collisions, a seat arrangement is provided that includes a seat base into which the child seat can be detachably connected and a load leg pivotally mounted at one end of the base. The load leg is provided with a telescopic length adjustment, which allows the length of the load leg to be adjusted and then to be securely locked at a selected length. The top end of the load leg is provided with a fold latch arrangement which automatically engages when the load leg is rotated from a stored position to an operative one. This arrangement has a push-button type release feature to facilitate easy folding. Alligator clamp-like members (one on either side of the seat base) are provided at the other end of the base to clamp the seat belt, which is used to secure the base to a vehicle seat cushion, and to prevent the belt from slipping in its axial direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a seat base for a child&#39;s vehicular seat and more specifically to a seat base for the child&#39;s seat from which the child&#39;s seat can be selectively engaged and disengaged and which has an adjustable stabilizing load leg that engages the floor of the vehicle.  
           [0003]    2. Related Art  
           [0004]    It has been proposed to provide a seat base, from which a child&#39;s vehicular seat can be selectively engaged and disengaged, that can be left on the vehicle seat cushion once it has been properly installed on the seat cushion. In addition, it has been proposed to add a so-called “load leg” which extends between the seat base and the floor of the vehicle to improve the stability/performance of the child&#39;s seat in the event of a frontal impact during a vehicular collision. The load leg is intended to prevent rotation of the seat base and child&#39;s seat in the event of such a vehicular collision and thus to limit the excursion of a seat occupant&#39;s head beyond acceptable limits. However, load leg arrangements, thus far, have lacked user-friendliness and have tended to be cumbersome to use, which invites improper disposition/adjustment.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides a seat base with a load leg arrangement that improves the ease of disposition, folding and adjustment of the load leg arrangement relative to the seat base. The present invention also provides a seat base that includes a lock off device to easily capture and securely hold a vehicle shoulder belt in position relative to the seat base to retain the seat base on the vehicle seat.  
           [0006]    In order to achieve the above advantages, the present invention provides a seat base with a load leg that is pivotally mounted at one end of a seat base. The load leg is provided with a length adjustment feature that allows the length of the load leg to be adjusted and then to be securely locked at a selected length. In addition, the load leg is provided with a fold latch arrangement, which automatically engages latch-receiving members in the seat base when the load leg is rotated from a stored position to an operative one to lock the load leg in the operative position. The latching or locking arrangement has, in one embodiment, a push-button type release feature to facilitate easy release and folding of the load leg to the stored position.  
           [0007]    The seat base also includes alligator clamp-like members, one on either side of the base, to clamp a vehicle shoulder belt to the seat base and prevent the belt from slipping along the belt&#39;s axial direction. The clamp-like members thus secure the seat base to the vehicle seat via the vehicle belt.  
           [0008]    More specifically, a first aspect of the present invention resides in a seat arrangement comprising a seat supporting base member adapted to be secured to a vehicle seat by way of a seat belt, and a load leg which is adjustable in length and pivotally supported at one end of the base member.  
           [0009]    In this seat arrangement, the load leg is provided with a lock mechanism for locking the load leg in an operative position when it is pivoted from a stored position to the operative position. Additionally, the length adjustment of the load leg is controlled by a selectively releasable latch mechanism which locks the load leg against change in axial length.  
           [0010]    Further, this seat arrangement further comprises an easy to use lock-off device, which is adapted to receive a vehicle belt and to clamp the belt against movement in its axial direction. This lock off device comprises a clamp having inner and outer members which are operatively connected with one another such that webbing of a vehicle belt, when slid and clamped between the inner and outer members, is prevented from sliding along its length.  
           [0011]    In more detail, the inner member of the above lock-off device is fixed to a surface of the base member, while the outer member has one end immovably fastened to one end of the inner member and is superimposed over the inner member so that a seat belt receiving clearance is established between the free end of the outer member and a corresponding end of the inner member.  
           [0012]    A second aspect of the invention resides in a seat arrangement having a base member to which a child&#39;s seat can selectively attached and detached, a load leg extending from one end of the base member for engagement with a floor of the vehicle, and a lock off device for a seat belt, the lock off device being characterized by an inner member fixed to a surface of the base member; and an outer member having one end immovably integral with one end of the inner member and superimposed over the inner member so that a tapering clearance, into which seat belt webbing can be easily slid, is established between the free end of the outer member and a corresponding end of the inner member.  
           [0013]    This seat arrangement is further characterized in that the load leg is pivotally mounted to the base member. In addition, the load leg is adjustable in length.  
           [0014]    To facilitate deployment of the load leg, the load leg is provided with a latch mechanism to permit the load leg to be locked at a selected length. In accordance with this aspect, this latch mechanism has at least one pivotal latch member that selectively engages openings formed in a strut reciprocatively mounted in a housing also forming part of the load leg.  
           [0015]    Further, the load leg includes a fold latch arrangement which holds the load leg in an operative position until the load leg is manually released. This fold latch arrangement comprises a lock member that protrudes through an opening formed in the base member and locks the load leg against pivotal movement until the lock member manually depressed to a level whereat engagement between the lock member and the base member is absent.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The various aspects and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more clearly appreciated as a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention and alternate arrangements, is given with reference to the appended drawings in which:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a seat supporting base member and a load leg according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view showing the load leg locked in an operative supporting position with respect to the base member;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to that shown in FIG. 2, depicting topographical features of the base member;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a front elevation view showing the load leg locked in its operative supporting position with respect to the base member;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the base member with the load leg locked in its operative supporting position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is an inverted perspective view showing the lower surface of the base member and the manner in which the load leg arrangement folds against the lower surface of the base member;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is an top view of the base member; and  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a front view of the load leg with a front half of the load leg housing removed to show features of the latch mechanism that enables telescopic adjustment of the load leg length.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    FIGS.  1 - 8  show an embodiment of a seat arrangement for use in a vehicle in accordance with the invention. The seat arrangement can be used in any vehicle equipped for carrying an infant, toddler or child seats, including automobiles, sport utility vehicles, vans, trucks, planes, buses, trains, boats, and the like. This seat arrangement generally comprises a seat supporting base member  100  to which a child&#39;s seat (not shown) can be selectively engaged and disengaged. The base member  100  includes a load leg  200 . The load leg  200  is pivotally mounted to a forward end  100 A of the base member  100  and includes a foot member  210 . The foot member  210  can have a curved lower surface  210 A adapted to rest on top of a transmission tunnel of an automotive vehicle (neither shown) so that the base member  100  can be stably secured to the middle of the vehicle&#39;s rear seat at a location which is optimally located to minimize injury to a child in a side impact/collision. Although the central portion of the lower surface  210 A of the foot  210  curves, the lower surface  210 A becomes generally planar at either side so that, when the base member  100  is placed on the left- or right-side of the vehicle&#39;s rear seat, the foot  210  can balance on the flat surface of the rear floor pan of the vehicle and can spread out the force translated from the child&#39;s seat to the base member  100  in the event of a front collision. The foot  210  can be molded from polypropylene, polycarbonate or the like.  
         [0026]    A pair of struts  212 , which can be hollow tubes, for example, extend up from the foot  210  and are slidably received within channels  213  molded into a load leg housing  214 . The housing  214 , as show in FIG. 1, consists of front and rear halves  214 A,  214 B that are secured together with a plurality of un-numbered fastener elements and guides. The tubular struts  212  slide in and out of the housing  214  within predetermined limits. A latch mechanism, generally denoted by the numeral  216 , is mounted in the housing  214  in the manner best seen in FIG. 8.  
         [0027]    The latch mechanism  216 , as shown in FIG. 8, includes a pair of pawl-like pivotal latch members  218  with teeth  218 A that engagingly extend into one of series of openings  212 A formed along the inboard edges of the tubular struts  212 . The latch members  218  are spring loaded by compression springs  220  so as to be constantly biased to pivot in a direction wherein the teeth  218 A engage opposed openings  212 A. A single, manually operable, button-like adjustment handle or member  222  is arranged to engage the latch members  218 . Displacement of the adjustment handle  222  against the bias of the springs  220  (in FIG. 8, upward) induces the pivoting movement of the latch members  218  in a direction which retracts the teeth from the openings  212 A. Once the teeth  218 A are retracted from the openings  212 A, the tubular struts  212  can be slidably adjusted up (or down) relative to the housing  214 . Release of the adjustment handle  222  permits the latch members  218  to pivot back in an engaging direction and to re-engage in the appropriate openings  212 A. Although actuation of the adjustment handle  222  is necessary for upward movement of the struts  212  (to shorten the load leg), the struts  212  can be moved downward (to lengthen the load leg) without actuating the handle  222  by pulling on foot  210  in a direction away from the base member  100  with enough force to cause the teeth  218 A to release from the openings  212 A. The teeth  218 A then slide along the inboard sides of the struts  212  until they reach the next set of opposed openings  212 A, at which time they pivot into engagement in those openings  212 A. The struts  212  can be ratcheted down in this manner until the load leg has been sufficiently lengthened. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the struts  212  include retention bushings  212 B that prevent the struts  212  from being pulled out of the lower end of the channels  213  in the load leg housing  214 . The struts  212  can be pulled downward, away from the base member  100 , only until bushings  212 B contact ribs  219  formed in the channels  213 .  
         [0028]    The housing  214  of the load leg  200  is pivotally supported on a pivot shaft or tube  224  which is rigidly connected at both ends to the underside of the base member  100  by way of connection brackets  226 . A fold latch arrangement  230 , indicated generally in FIG. 1, is provided as part of the housing  214  of the load leg  200 . In this embodiment, the arrangement  230  takes the form of a pair of spring loaded block-like lock members  232  that are respectively arranged to project through a pair of openings  236  formed in the base member  100  when the load leg  200  is pivoted to its operative position, as seen in FIG. 2. Engagement between the sides of the lock members  232  and the edges of the openings  236  restrains the load leg  200  against pivotal movement. The load leg  200  is maintained in this operative position until such time as the lock members  232  are manually depressed to a level where engagement with the edges of the openings  236  is lost, and resistance to pivotal movement is removed. Under these conditions, the load leg  200  can be folded back to its stored position illustrated in FIG. 6.  
         [0029]    More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the above-mentioned lock members  232  of this embodiment each comprise a hollow molded member which is configured to receive one end of a compression spring  233 . The lock members  232  also are slidably disposed in recesses  234  which are molded into the rear half  214 B of the load leg housing  214 . The lock members  232  each are formed with small retention barbs  232 A on each side. The lock members  232  are pressed into the recesses  234 , and barbs  232 A are received in slots  234 A. Engagement between the upper end of the slots  234 A and the barbs  232 A limits the maximum degree of projection of each of the lock members  232  and retains them in the recesses  234 .  
         [0030]    In one embodiment, the lock members  232  are made of nylon, while the front and rear halves  214 A,  214 B of the load leg housing  214  are molded from polypropylene, polycarbonate or the like. It is preferable to form the sliding lock members  232  of a different material from that of the housing  214  so that the lock members  232  can slide easily along the recess walls. Nylon (or similar material) provides suitable self-lubricating properties and ensures reliable operation of the lock members  232 . The single, manually operable, button-like adjustment handle or member  222  which is associated with the latch members  218  is, in this embodiment, also made of nylon for the same reason.  
         [0031]    The rear or aft end of the base member  100  (viz., an end of the base member distal from that at which the load leg  200  is pivotally mounted) is provided with a pair of lock-off members  300 . The lock off members  300  are located on either side of the base member  100  and are adapted to receive and grip seat belt webbing (not shown) of a vehicle shoulder belt. Once the seat belt is pulled into a lock off member  300 , it is gripped in a manner which strongly inhibits sliding of the belt along its length or axial direction. A lock off member  300  is provided on either side of the base member  100  so that the base member  100  can be used on either side of, or in the middle of, a vehicle. In addition, the lock off members  300  are operative with either a 2-point or 3-point adult seat belt.  
         [0032]    The lock off devices  300  each include inner and outer members  302 ,  304 . As best seen in FIG. 1, the inner member  302  is fixed to the base member  100 , such as by bolts or nylock nuts, so as to be restrained against any movement relative to the base member  100 . The outer member  304 , on the other hand, is secured only at one end to the inner member  302  via bolts and nylock nuts, for example. This cantilevered attachment endows the outer member  304  with the ability to flex relative to the inner member  302  by a small amount and to act as a type of non-adjustable alligator clamp. A tapered clearance is defined between the “jaws” of this arrangement into which a seat belt can be pulled and easily wedged. The inboard surfaces of the inner and outer members  302 ,  304  additionally are provided with ribs or splines  302 A,  304 A which interleave and overlap by amounts selected so that, when seat belt webbing is slid between the inner and outer members, it is gripped and forced into a gently serpentine configuration to produce sufficient friction that movement of the seat belt webbing along its axial length direction is prohibited. The interleaving of the ribs  302 A,  304 A can be seen in FIG. 4.  
         [0033]    While the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment/arrangement, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto and, as will be readily appreciated by the person of skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, given the preceding disclosure, can be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.  
         [0034]    In one alternative embodiment, for example, while the two tubular struts have been described as being latched and unlatched via the use of a single manually manipulable member, i.e. element  222 , the invention is not limited to this arrangement. Although member  222  simplifies the adjustment operation, the present invention can have an individually operable latch operating member associated with each of the tubular legs, if so desired.  
         [0035]    In addition, in another alternative embodiment, the latch members  218 , while being described as being associated with separate compression spring members, could be replaced with latch members that have integrally arranged springs, such as leaf spring arrangements which are integrally or unitarily formed with the latch members. The latch members  218  are preferably formed of metal for the purposes of strength and safety. Alternatively, they can include a plastic covering which encompasses the integral leaf spring arrangement.  
         [0036]    In a further alternative embodiment, the fold latches  230  can be replaced with a single resiliently biased member. Or, they can be replaced with a different arrangement, wherein the pivot shaft or shafts about which the load leg pivots can be supported by a pair of opposed L-shaped slots formed in the load leg housing, and wherein the upper end of the load leg housing is arranged to be inserted into a socket or recess in the lower surface of the base member of sufficient depth and size so as to lock the load leg in its operative support position. Folding of the leg in this different embodiment can be achieved by pulling the load leg vertically downward so that pivot shaft(s) slides down the vertical leg of the L-shaped slots. The L-shaped slots are selected to have a length which allows the load leg housing to clear the socket or recess. At this stage the load leg would be released and rendered pivotal. The load leg could then be maneuvered so that the pivot shaft is moved along the horizontal leg of the L-shaped groove, and the load leg assumes a folded stored configuration with respect to the base member.  
         [0037]    Further, while FIGS.  1 - 8  illustrate a seat supporting base member  100  having a particular shape, the load leg of the present invention can be used with base members of different configurations. For example, the load leg can be employed on a base member with a differently-contoured upper surface to which a child&#39;s seat can be attached or with different height, width, and length dimensions. Also, the reinforcing ribs on the lower side of the base member, seen most clearly in FIG. 5, can be arranged differently in other embodiments of the base member.  
         [0038]    The lock off devices, while being disclosed as similar to alligator jaw-like clamps, can be replaced with devices wherein the outer member is pivotally mounted and adapted to snap snugly down on the inner member or the like, without departing from the broadest aspects of the invention.  
         [0039]    This application claims benefit to Australian patent application No. 57664/01 and to European patent application No. 01 118100.5, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.