Patent Publication Number: US-2010123342-A1

Title: Child vehicle seat

Description:
The invention relates to a child vehicle seat comprising at least a seat portion, a backrest which joins said seat portion and at least one guide present on one side of the seat portion, which child vehicle seat is placed on the vehicle seat with the seat portion of the child vehicle seat facing towards a vehicle seat backrest in use, after which the child vehicle seat is secured in place by means of a three-point seat belt comprising a shoulder portion and a lap portion, which is passed at least over said guide. 
     Such a child vehicle seat, which is for example known from European patent application EP-A1-1 211 124, is suitable for relatively small children, who are to be transported “facing backwards” in a vehicle. The term “facing backwards” is understood to mean that a child seated in the child vehicle seat faces in a direction opposite the direction of travel. 
     To mount such a child vehicle seat in place, the child vehicle seat is placed on the seat portion of the vehicle seat, with the seat portion of the child vehicle seat facing towards the vehicle seat backrest and the backrest of the child vehicle seat being located on a side remote from the vehicle seat backrest. Following that, the child vehicle seat is connected to the vehicle seat by means of a three-point seat belt that is present in the vehicle. To that end, the shoulder portion of the three-point vehicle belt must usually be passed along the side of the backrest remote from the seat portion, whilst the lap portion is passed along guides disposed on either side of the seat portion. The child vehicle seat is thus securely connected to the vehicle seat. 
     In practice, however, it has been found that it is not always obvious to all users that the three-point belt must be arranged over the child vehicle seat in this manner. In particular users who have no experience connecting a child vehicle seat to a vehicle seat, for example because the user in question has only just purchased such a child vehicle seat or it has been some time since the user last used the child vehicle seat, mistakes appear to be made in correctly connecting the three-point belt. In most cases, the shoulder portion is not passed along the rear side of the backrest but along the guides disposed on either side of the seat portion. The child vehicle seat is not correctly connected to the vehicle seat in that case, so that the child vehicle seat may become detached from the three-point belt in case of a collision of the vehicle or make an undesirable movement relative to the child vehicle seat. 
     The object of the invention is to provide a child vehicle seat in which the fact that the shoulder portion is incorrectly positioned is communicated to the user in a simple manner. 
     This object is accomplished with the child vehicle seat according to the invention in that the guide is oriented at such an angle relative to the child vehicle seat that the shoulder portion will slide off the guide upon being arranged along the guide. 
     When the lap portion is correctly arranged along the guide, the child vehicle seat will be securely connected to the vehicle seat by means of the lap portion. When a user arranges the shoulder portion along the guide, however, the shoulder portion will slide off the guide on account of the angle at which the guide extends relative to the child vehicle seat, which signals to the user that the three-point belt is not correctly arranged. The user will arrange the three-point belt correctly over the child vehicle seat yet in that case and connect it thereto. 
     It is noted that from EP-A2-1 717 096 there is known a child vehicle seat in which a belt receiving structure  8  is arranged between a seat portion  3  and a base  2 . During normal use, the lap portion of the belt abuts against said belt receiving structure  8 . When a user positions the should belt portion against the belt receiving structure  8 , however, the shoulder portion will remain in abutment therewith, inter alia because the back portion  4  extends a relatively large horizontal distance beyond the belt receiving structure in a direction away from the vehicle seat backrest. The shoulder portion will not slide off the belt receiving structure. 
     It is noted that from NL 9400114 there is known a child vehicle seat in which engagement points  8  are present on either side of the seat portion. Each engagement point  8  holds a belt portion provided therein in place along both longitudinal sides thereof. A shoulder portion will be securely positioned in the engagement point  8  and will not slide off the engagement point  8 . This is clearly shown in  FIG. 2  of said Dutch patent application. 
     One embodiment of the child vehicle seat according to the invention is characterised in that the guide includes an obtuse angle with a surface extending transversely to the backrest. 
     It has been found that the shoulder portion will readily slide off the guide when such an obtuse angle is used. 
     Another embodiment of the child vehicle seat according to the invention is characterised in that said obtuse angle is 95-115 degrees. 
     When an obtuse angle of this magnitude is used, the shoulder portion will readily slide off the guide, whilst a lap portion passed over said guide can be securely connected to the guide and thus to the child vehicle seat. 
     Yet another embodiment of the child vehicle seat according to the invention is characterised in that the guide will include an angle of 60-80 degrees with the horizontal when the child vehicle seat is placed on a horizontal surface. 
     It has been found that, in use, when such an angle relative to the horizontal is used and the child vehicle seat is placed on a vehicle seat portion that is inclined towards the vehicle seat backrest, an angle of the guide is obtained such that the shoulder portion will readily slide off the guide, whilst the lap portion can firmly engage the guide. 
     Yet another embodiment of the child vehicle seat according to the invention is characterised in that the child vehicle seat is provided with such a guide on either side of the seat portion. 
     In this way the child vehicle seat can be placed on a vehicle seat provided with a three-point belt that extends from the left-hand side of the vehicle seat to the right-hand side thereof. 
     Yet another embodiment of the child vehicle seat according to the invention is characterised in that said guide comprises a flat surface against which the lap portion abuts in use. 
     The shoulder portion can readily slide off the guide along such a flat surface. 
     The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a child vehicle seat according to the prior art placed on a vehicle seat, in which a three-point belt is incorrectly used; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a child vehicle seat according to the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the child vehicle seat according to the invention shown in  FIG. 2 , which is placed on a vehicle seat, with the three-point belt correctly connected; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are perspective views of the child vehicle seat according to the invention shown in  FIG. 2 , in which the three-point belt is (being) incorrectly connected. 
    
    
     Like parts are indicated by the same numerals in the figures. 
       FIG. 1  shows a child vehicle seat  1  comprising a seat portion  2 , a backrest  3  which joins said seat portion and a carrying bracket  4 , which is pivotally connected to the bucket  5  comprising the seat portion  2  and the backrest  3  on either side thereof. The child vehicle seat  1  further comprises two guides  6  disposed on either side of the seat portion  2 . If desired, the bucket  5  may be provided with a hook-shaped guide member  7  on a side of the backrest  3  remote from the seat portion  2 . The child vehicle seat  1  is placed on a vehicle seat  11 , which usually comprises a seat portion  12  and a backrest  13  which joins said seat portion. The vehicle seat  11  is furthermore usually provided with a three-point belt  14  comprising a shoulder portion  15  and a lap portion  16 . The shoulder portion  15  is understood to be that part of the three-point belt  14  which extends from an upper side of the vehicle seat backrest  13  towards a belt buckle (not shown) present near the transition between the seat portion  12  of the vehicle seat and the vehicle seat backrest  13 . The lap portion  16  extends towards the belt buckle from the same side of the vehicle seat  11  as the shoulder portion  15 , but in this case from a bottom side of the vehicle seat backrest  13  rather than from the upper side thereof. Such a three-point belt  14  is known per se and will not be explained in more detail therein, therefore. 
     To mount the child vehicle seat  1  correctly to the vehicle seat  11 , the shoulder portion  15  must be passed over the bucket  5  and through the hook-shaped guide member  7  in the direction of the belt buckle. The lap portion  16  must be passed under the guides  6 . In the situation shown in  FIG. 1 , the three-point belt  14  is incorrectly provided. The lap portion  16  is passed over the bucket  5 , whilst the shoulder portion  15  is passed along the guides  6 . In such a situation the child vehicle seat I is not connected to the vehicle seat  11  in the prescribed, safe manner, so that in case of a collision the vehicle seat  1  may become detached or move undesirably with respect to the vehicle seat  11 , which may lead to the child seated in a child vehicle seat  1  being injured. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a child vehicle seat  21  according to the invention, whose bucket  5  corresponds to the bucket  5  of the child vehicle seat  1  shown in  FIG. 1 . Like the child vehicle seat  1 , the child vehicle seat  21  may be provided with a carrying bracket  4 . The child vehicle seat  21  is different from the child vehicle  1  that is known per se in that the child vehicle seat  21  is provided with guides  22  disposed on either side of the seat portion  2 , which guides each have a flat guide surface  23 . Each guide surface  23  includes an obtuse angle α with a virtual surface  24  extending transversely to the backrest  3 . Said obtuse angle α is 95-115 degrees. 
     If the child vehicle seat  21  is placed on a horizontal surface  25 , it is also possible to determine the angle β which the surface  23  includes with the horizontal. The angle β is preferably 60-80 degrees. The angle γ which the backrest  3  includes with the horizontal  25  is preferably 45-60 degrees. The angle which the guide surface  23  includes with the child vehicle seat  21  may also have a different magnitude, as long as the guide surface  23  of the guide  22  is positioned in such a manner that, as will be explained in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shoulder portion  15  will slide off at least one of the guides  22  if it is accidentally arranged along the guides  22 , so that the person who is placing the child vehicle seat  1  on the vehicle seat  11  will be alerted to the fact that the three-point belt  14  is incorrectly connected to the child vehicle seat  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the child vehicle seat  21  according to the invention, which is placed on a vehicle seat  11  and which is correctly connected thereto by means of a three-point belt  14 . The term “correctly” as used in this context means that the shoulder portion  15  extends along a side of the backrest  3  remote from the seat portion  2 , whilst the lap portion  15  is passed along the guides  22 . In this way the child vehicle seat  22  is securely connected to the vehicle seat  11 . The guide surface  23 , and consequently the child vehicle seat  21 , is drawn tightly against the vehicle seat  11  by tensioning the three-point belt  14 . 
     In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , which show the child vehicle seat  21  according to the invention, the three-point belt  14  is being incorrectly arranged around the child vehicle seat  21  by a user  31 . The user  31  passes the lap portion  16  around the bucket  5  and arranges the shoulder portion  15  against the guide surface  23  of the guides  22  (see  FIG. 4 ). As soon as the three-point belt  14  is tensioned by the user  31  or by an automatic belt retractor as known per se, the shoulder portion  15  will slide off the guide  22  in the direction indicated by the arrow P 1 . This happens on account of the angle at which the guide  22  is oriented relative to the child vehicle seat  21 . In this way the shoulder portion  15  will in any case slide off the guide  21  that is present on the side of the vehicle seat  11  where the shoulder portion  15  is located near the upper side of the vehicle seat backrest with one end and the lap portion  16  is located near a bottom side of the vehicle seat backrest. 
     As soon as the shoulder portion  15  moves off the guide  22 , the shoulder portion  15  will take up the position shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, in which position the shoulder portion  15  only abuts against the other guide  22 . It should be obvious to a user that in this way the child vehicle seat  21  is not correctly connected to the vehicle seat  11 . The user  31  will then disconnect the three-point belt  14  and connect it to the child vehicle seat  21  in the correct manner shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     There is also a possibility that the shoulder portion  15  will slide off both guides  22 .