Patent Publication Number: US-2009236881-A1

Title: Article Holder

Description:
The present invention relates to article holder and in particular to such a holder when provided within a child safety seat. 
     In this respect, child safety seats are well known for assisting in securing a child within the interior of a vehicle. Such seats take many forms but in general involve a seat base which rests on the vehicle seat base, and a seat back which, in the case of forwardly facing child seats, rests against the vehicle seat back. 
     Known child seats have incorporated arrangements for holding articles such as cups. One such seat is disclosed in US2005/0082888, which shows an object holder which is pivotally mounted to move between retracted and extended positions. In the retracted position the holder is stowed within the seat base, the holder pivoting transversely to the side of the seat base when needed. 
     This known arrangement however suffers problems in that with modern vehicle seat interiors, the vehicle seat cushions have contoured profiles, often with the side edges of the seat base and seat back being raised to support and envelope the occupant. Such contoured profiles can cause problems in relation to the correct mounting and fixing of child seats, but also more specifically in the present context in relation to operation of such article holders. In this connection, the path of holders such as disclosed in US2005/0082888 can be impeded by such raised side edges, impairing their use. 
     The present invention seeks to resolve such problems of known arrangements. 
     According to a first aspect there is provided an article holder for a child seat, the holder comprising:— 
     a holder portion for holding one or more articles; 
     a mounting in relation to which said holder portion is movably mounted; 
     wherein the holder portion and said mounting are configured for relative sliding movement there between along an arcuate path. Such an arrangement provides for an effective means of actuating the article holder. 
     Conveniently, the holder portion slides on the mounting. As such, the holder portion can move across the mounting for deployment of the article holder. 
     Preferably, one of the holder portion and mounting has an arcuate guide track for receiving guide formations provided to the other of the holder portion and mounting. The guide track and guide formations provide a reliable means for controlling the deployment of the article holder. 
     Conveniently, the article holder has deployed and stowed positions, wherein in use, in moving from the stowed to the deployed position the holder portion moves upwards and outwards along said arcuate path. In this way, deployment of the article holder is less likely to be impeded by, for example, raised contours of a vehicle seat. 
     Conveniently, the mounting comprises a shell for mounting within a recess provided to a child seat. The mounting means and holder portion can be therefore be provided together as a unit ready for installation within a suitable recess in a seat. The shell and holder portion may each have a wedge shaped configuration for optimising space usage. 
     Conveniently, in a stowed position, the holder is substantially received in the mounting. As such, when stowed the article holder lies substantially flush with the seat enhancing its compactness. 
     Preferably, the holder portion and mounting have co-operating detent formations for assisting in holding the holder in its deployed position. In this way the article holder will remain available for storage of articles unless closed by a user. 
     Whilst the article holder can be provided in the seat back, it is conveniently provided in a seat base of a child seat. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an article holder for a child seat, the holder comprising:—a holder portion for holding one or more articles, the holder portion having one or more guide formations for engagement with one or more complementary formations on a holder portion mounting for slidably guiding the holder portion along an arcuate path between deployed and stowed positions. 
    
    
     
       An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:— 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  show perspective and side views of a child seat incorporating an article holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the article holder in a stowed position; 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the child seat of  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing the article holder in a deployed position; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  show the article holder of the present invention, as slidably mounted on a mounting, removed from a child seat for illustrative purposes, showing the operation of the article holder of the present invention between stowed and deployed positions; 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the holder portion of the article holder of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective exterior view of a mounting of the article holder of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  shows a front interior view of the mounting of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a child seat  1  comprises generally a seat base  2  and a seat back  3 . An article holder  4  is provided to a side of the seat base  2 . In  FIG. 3 , the article holder  4  is shown deployed, such that a cup or bottle holding receptacle  5  projects outwardly from the side of the seat base. 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the article holder  4  is shown stowed, and as such is substantially flush with the side profile of the seat base  2 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate how the article holder moves between stowed and deployed positions. More particularly, movement from the stowed to the deployed positions involves a holder portion  6  of the holder  1  moving upwardly and outwardly in relation to a mounting  7  provided to the seat base  2 . As shown, this movement allows the article holder to be deployed unimpeded even where the seat is provided to a vehicle which incorporates raised seat side edges  8  (shown in dashed lines). 
       FIG. 6  shows detail of the holder portion  6 . In this regard, the holder portion has a generally curved upper running surface  9 , which engages with the mounting, also having an arcuate interior surface profile. The holder portion has formation  10  for seating an article such as a cup, this formation being exposed when the holder is in its deployed position. 
     An exterior surface  12  of the holder is formed so as to be generally flush with the seat side profile when the holder is in its stowed position. Incorporated into the exterior surface  12  is a finger grip formation  13  in the form of an aperture as shown in  FIG. 2 , which facilitates deployment and stowage of the holder. 
     The holder portion moreover has sliders  14 , provided in the form of clip elements, which project from the arcuate running surface  9 . These sliders  14  cooperate with guide tracks  15  provided within the mounting  7 . The guide tracks take the form of slots in the mounting. The mounting is in this regard formed from a half shell segment, the slots being provided in an arcuate back wall  16  of the shell. 
     With the sliders  14  clipped into the slots, the arcuate surfaces of the holder and mounting cooperate, and allow relative slidable movement. The extent of the slots determines the amount of movement between the stowed and deployed positions. Formations  17  are provided to the holder portion and mounting and are arranged to cooperate with the holder portion in the deployed position. These formations assist with holding the holder in the deployed position. 
     Whilst the article holder may have a recess formed to hold a bottle or cup, it may have additional recesses for electronic games, or music or telephone devices. An article holder may be provided on each side of the child seat, and these may be configured for holding different articles. 
     The article holder may be used with child seats having backrests or with booster seats. 
     As shown, the mounting  7  comprises a shell, which can be mounted within a suitable recess provided in a child seat. The mounting  7  and holder portion  6  can be therefore be provided together as a unit ready for installation within such a suitable recess in a seat.