Patent Publication Number: US-2010117416-A1

Title: Child seat

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/113,603, filed Nov. 12, 2008, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a child seat, in particular a child seat having a flexible integrally formed thereon, and does not need any seat clothing or pad to be attached to the body thereof. 
     2. Background Information 
     The child seats now available on the market, such as the child car seat or the high chair, are commonly attached with soft goods on the body shell so as to increase the softness or flexibility of the body shell to provide comfort to the children seated thereon. The body shell generally includes a fastening mechanism to attach the clothing or pad thereon. Such arrangement increases the manufacturing cost and assembling time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a child seat without clothing. The child seat comprises a flexible member integrally formed on the body. No additional seat clothing or pad is needed to be attached onto the body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a child car seat according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the child car seat shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an infant carrier according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing another child car seat according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a high chair according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the first embodiment of the present invention, the child seat is a child car seat  1  that comprises a seat portion  12  and a base portion  14 . The seat portion  12  is removably coupled to the base portion  14 . The seat portion  12  comprises a body  18  and a flexible member  16  located above the body  18 . The flexible member  16  is integrally formed directly on the body  18  of the child car seat  1  by over molding process. After the over molding process, the flexible member  16  is attached onto the upper surface of the body  18 , and conforms to the shape of the body  18 , and is unremovable from the body. Therefore, the flexible member  16  may provide the functions as pad or seat clothing, and the clothing or pad is no longer needed. 
     The two-step molding process of the seat portion  12  comprises the steps of: forming a rigid body  18  by injection molding a first thermoplastic such as PP polypropylene in an injection mold; thereafter placing the body  12  in another mold to over-mold the body  12  with a second thermoplastic so as to form a flexible member  16  that is attached on the upper surface of the body  18 . The first and second thermoplastics are formed of different materials. For example, the second thermoplastic can be formed of elastomers such as IPV, SEBS, PU foam, EUAEPS, EPO, or EPP. cl Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 3  shows an infant carrier according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The infant carrier  2  comprises a body portion  22  and a flexible member  26 . The flexible member  26  is directly formed on the upper surface of the body portion  22  by over-molding process as described in the first embodiment. The infant carrier  2  includes a handle  25  to facilitate the handling of the users such as the parents. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing another child car seat according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The child car seat  3  comprises a headrest portion  31 , a backrest portion  32  and a seat portion  33 . The headrest portion  31  comprises a body  34  and a flexible member  36  attaching to the body  34 . The headrest portion  31  is located above the backrest portion  32 , and is movable relative to the backrest portion  32  so that the height can be adjusted to suit children of different ages. The seat portion  33  comprises a body  37  and a flexible member  36  attaching to the body  37 , and is located below the backrest portion  32 . The backrest portion  32  comprises a body  35  and a flexible member  36  attaching to the body  35 , and is removably connected to the seat portion  33 . When the backrest portion  32  is removed, the seat portion  33  can serve as a booster for an elder child. The flexible member  36  is directly formed on the headrest portion  31 , the backrest portion  32 , and the seat portion  33  by over-molding process as described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the flexible member  36  may provide the functions as a pad or clothing, and clothing or pad is not be needed to attach to the headrest portion  31 , backrest portion  32  and seat portion  33 . 
     Fourth Embodiment 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a highchair according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The highchair  4  comprises a frame  45  and a seat  41  coupled to the frame  45 . The seat  41  comprises a seat portion  43  and a backrest portion  42  located above the seat portion  43 . The seat portion  43  comprises a seat body  44 , and a flexible member  46  located above the body  44 . The backrest portion  42  comprises a backrest body  47  and a flexible member  46  located above the backrest body  47 . The seat  41  is height adjustable relative to the frame  45 . The flexible member  46  is directly formed on the backrest body  47  of the backrest portion  42 , and the seat body  44  of the seat portion  43  by over-molding process. Therefore, the flexible member  46  may provide the functions as a pad or clothing, even though no clothing or pad is provided for the backrest portion  42  and seat portion  43 . Furthermore, since no clothing or pad is assembled on the respective portions, the backrest portion  42  may be tilted relative to the seat portion  43  to adjust for an appropriate inclination angle without any interference. 
     While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.