Patent Abstract:
An infant carrier and car seat combination is illustrated which provides releasable lockability between the carrier and its base, infant seat belt tensioning and height adjustment, improved handle movement which resists twisting and carrier base adjustment through a movable base within the carrier base.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention relates to infant carrier and receiving base in combinations as well as individually. The receiving bases employ common latching aspects utilizing releasable securing positioning of the carrier in any number of bases. One specific embodiment is for use as an infant car seat or more precisely, an infant carrier that when combined with a base becomes an infant car seat. Another embodiment is for use as an infant carrier in combination with a carriage stroller. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Infant carriers are well-known and used to easily carry an infant from place-to-place as well as seating for an infant for feeding or playing. These carriers are generally a plastic shell with a seating surface, sides, an adjustable carry handle, rocker-shaped bottom runners, a restraint harness, a carry handle and a pad. 
   Infant carriers are often used as infant car seats either by themselves, or with the addition of a base. If the carriers are used as a car seat by themselves, they have hooks of some kind which can be used to secure them to an automobile seatbelt. If they are used with a base, the base has a somewhat torso-shaped contour over which an automobile seatbelt is passed to secure the base in the automobile. The carrier is then attached to the base in some way. 
   Infant car seats have progressed over the years. The first infant car seat was little more than a double-walled plastic dish pan (the GM® Loveseat). Evenflo advanced the state-of-the-art with a lightweight infant car seat with an adjustable angle (the Dyn-o-mite™). Century followed with an infant car seat with a carry handle and a stay-in-the-car base (the Century® 580). Other manufacturers have also added improvements as they introduced new models. The various seats have provided good protection in transporting children in automobiles. 
   Despite the advances, however, infant car seats are not as safe or easy to use as they might be. For example, changing the shoulder belt height on most seats means unthreading a complex belt system and rethreading through a different set of slots, which is a difficult task for people who are not mechanically inclined. Additionally, nearly every infant car seat has been recalled because their handle lock mechanisms were not strong enough and jumped position. It has been reported that misuse of infant car seats continues to be a major problem and current seats are too complex. Finally, most infant car seats require removal of the infant carrier from the base to adjust the infant carrier back angle, which means the user is trying to adjust a back angle that is not currently visible. 
   This invention was developed to continue to advance the state-of-the-art for infant car seats. It attempts to make an infant car seat that is easier to understand, easier to use, and safer. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention comprises an infant carrier and a mating base which combine to form an infant carrier/car seat combination. The infant carrier can be used by itself as an infant carrier, but it is made to be very lightweight and must be used with its companion base, which is heavier and more structural, to become an infant car seat. This combination infant carrier/car seat combination, like other infant carriers, has a seat, a back and side walls. It also has belt slots which will accommodate a 3-point or a 5-point harness system. It has a carry handle attached to the central upper side walls and a means to adjust the position of the carry handle. It also has either a 3-point harness system which comprises a crotch belt with a buckle and two shoulder belts, or a 5-point harness system which comprises a crotch belt with a buckle and left and right lap/shoulder belts which attach to the crotch belt buckle. It also has a means to adjust the location of the slots in the seatback where the shoulder belts pass through as well as a means to adjust the belt length of the lap/shoulder belts. Further, it has runners on its bottom to allow a rocking motion when the carrier is placed on a flat surface and to mate with a contour in a matching base when the carrier is used with the base. In addition, it has a mechanism to cooperate with the base to removably secure the carrier and the base together. 
   The base of this invention has an upper contour which matches and receives a portion of the runners on the carrier so as to locate the carrier relative to the base and to help secure it to the base by preventing side-to-side movement and front-to-back movement. The base also has components which cooperate with a mechanism in the carrier to complete removable attachment of the two by preventing vertical movement of the carrier relative to the base. The base also has a bottom contour which rests on an automobile seat and which is adjustable to elevate or lower one end of the base, and thus to control the angle of the base relative to horizontal in a front-to-back direction. The adjustment is achieved by turning a knob on the back of the base, which through a mechanism, adjusts the base bottom contour. The base also has a somewhat torso-like contour near its front to accept at least the lap portion of an automobile seatbelt and which can also accommodate a standard LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) belt system, a specialized belt mandated by FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 225 to attach children&#39;s car seats to automobile seats and the corresponding top tethers and lower attachments identified in FMVSS 213. Finally, the base optionally has a lock-off which can squeeze and deform the automobile lap seatbelt and/or lap/shoulder seatbelts thus securing them to the base. 
   The belt slots in the back of the carrier, through which the shoulder belt portions of the 3-point or 5-point harness pass are moveable up or down on the back of the infant carrier. This movement is achieved by penetrating or cutting away the back of the carrier in any area it would be desirable to have the belts pass through the back of the carrier. The result of this cutting away is two elongated slots, somewhat wider than the shoulder belts and running from the lowest desired position (plus any clearances required) to the highest desired position. A movable panel with left and right belt slots is located behind the carrier seat back and is slidably retained on the carrier back. Left and right belt slots on the panel correspond to the elongated slots in the carrier seatback. 
   The movable panel is sized so that there is enough extra material above its belt slots and enough extra material below the belt slots so that whatever position the movable panel is in, the elongated slots in the carrier seatback are always covered. The height of the movable panel, and thus of the shoulder belt slots, is controlled by locating the movable panel relative to the elongated slots in the carrier seatback. This is achieved by mounting a spring-biased plunger onto the rear movable panel and letting it penetrate at least one of several locating openings in the carrier seatback. In one specific embodiment of the invention, multiple plungers engage multiple openings. To move the belt slots from one position to another, one must simply pull the plunger to disengage it with the opening in the carrier seatback, move the movable panel to the desired position and release the plunger to allow it to re-engage with a different opening in the carrier seatback. 
   The carry handle pivots on an axis running across the carrier from side-to-side and is located by a hub projection on each side of the carrier which rotationally engages a mating hub on each corresponding end of the carry handle. Each carry handle hub is equipped with an outwardly spring-biased plunger which is rotationally constrained but which is allowed to slide normal to the plane of the carry handle, and each plunger is equipped with a projecting pin which extends into its corresponding carrier hub. Each carrier hub has a segment of a gear with inwardly-facing teeth such that the pins on the carry handle plungers can engage with a space between two teeth on corresponding gear segments. When the pins on the spring-biased plungers are in their normal position, carry handle rotation is prevented. When the spring-biased plungers are pushed in, the projecting pins clear their neighboring gear teeth in the carrier hubs and the handle is free to rotate. When the spring-biased plungers are released, the projecting pins again, engage the gear teeth. 
   A problem with many handle positioning mechanisms as currently manufactured is that they are usually made of plastic which can deform and allow the pin and gear teeth to jump position. A further disadvantage of plastic in current construction is that to achieve strength, the plastic gear segment and the plunger must be thick. Since they are thick, they do not lie coplanar or even nearly coplanar and thus must resist twisting forces on themselves as well as rotational forces on the handle. This invention substitutes a more rigid material such as steel or aluminum for the gear teeth in the carrier hubs. While it is not absolutely essential that steel or aluminum be substituted for plastic, it is important that the gear teeth and mating control mechanisms are made thin and nearly planar. 
   A second problem of current designs is, as noted above, that the plunger and its pin which engages the gear teeth tends to twist sideways when a rotational force is applied to the carrier handle, because the plunger with its pin and the gear segment on the carrier hub cannot lie in the same plane. In this invention, an additional steel or aluminum guiding plate is fixed to the inside of each carry handle hub between the corresponding plunger in the carry handle hub and the gear teeth in the corresponding carrier hub. The guiding plate has an elongated opening through which the pin of the plunger projects. The elongated opening is sized to allow movement of the plunger and its projecting pin from their maximum outward position where the pin engages its corresponding gear segment to its maximum inward position where the pin is clear of its corresponding gear segment and the handle may rotate. Since the guiding plate is very close to its corresponding gear segment, most twisting of the plungers is eliminated and a more robust and reliable mechanism is achieved. 
   The base of the infant carrier/car seat has an upper contour to match and receive a portion of the runners on the carrier. The contour locates the carrier shell front-to-back and side-to-side. The base also has at least two steel blades projecting from its surface in a relatively central front-to-back location and located side-to-side to penetrate openings in the runners of the carrier. Each of these blades has a slanted top edge and a recess or hook on its trailing edge. The runners on the carrier each have an opening to receive a corresponding blade. When the carrier is located on the base, the blades project into the carrier. A steel bar located in the carrier in the area of the hooks and extending from one side of the carrier to the other and well past the sides of the blades is spring-biased into the hooks on each respective blade. It can be seen that when the steel bar inside the carrier is engaged in the hooks penetrating the carrier, the two are fastened securely together. The steel bar is loosely connected to a puller near each of its ends and that puller is connected to a common sliding handle on the outside of the carrier. Pulling the sliding handle on the outside of the carrier pulls the pullers which, in turn, pull the steel bar, overcome the spring bias, and move the steel bar free of the hooks in the blades extending from the base. The carrier can then be removed from the base. 
   If the carrier is set into the base, it is guided into position by the mating contours of the runners and the upper base surface. As the carrier moves downward, the steel blades penetrate the carrier runners, and the slanted upper surface of the steel blades move the steel bar rearward overcoming the spring bias until the carrier is fully seated in the base. When the carrier is fully seated, the hooks in the steel blade align with the steel bar and the spring bias moves the steel bar into a latched position, again locking the carrier and the base together. 
   The bottom contour of the base is divided into two portions, a fixed portion in the rear and a movable portion in the front. The movable portion is telescopically mounted near the front of the base and can move into or out of the base thus changing the base angle relative to the seating angle. The moving portion of the base telescopes into the base at its front from an extended position to a position nearly flat to the fixed portion of the base. 
   When the base is on an automobile seat, the base recline angle can be controlled by controlling the position of the telescoping moving base. The first element of the position controlling mechanism is an axle extending from near the front of the base to beyond the rear of the base. A knob is fixed to the rear of the axle to allow turning of the axle, and a screw thread is fixed to the opposite end. A moving nut or follower is engaged on the screw thread such that it cannot rotate but must move forward or backward as the axle is turned with the knob. The follower has two lateral cylindrical projections extending from each side, each projection in contact with an inclined plane attached to the telescoping moving base. Therefore, longitudinal front-to-back axial movement is translated into vertical movement by impingement of the cylindrical projections of the cam follower on the inclined plane of the moving base which drives the moving base into or out of the base. The advantages of this system are its infinite adjustment and its accessibility even when the carrier is on the base. 
   The base of the infant carrier/car seat combination has a torso-like path for the automobile seat belt or LATCH belt. On most carrier bases, there is no further connection between the base and the automobile or LATCH belt. This base is provided with a lock-off located in the belt path to more firmly secure the automobile seat belt to the base and help prevent any sideward relative sliding between the base and the automobile seat belt. The lock-off further aids in securing the base when the automobile lap/shoulder belt has a free-sliding latch plate and an emergency locking shoulder belt by clamping the lap and shoulder belts together and minimizing potential movement between them. The lock-off includes a transverse groove in the base in the central part of the belt path. A raised rib with a knurl is positioned in the center of the transverse groove. A hollow channel lock-off beam is pivotally attached to base at one end of the transverse groove through apertured openings in the beam channel through which is inserted a pivot pin captured within a pivot housing. Movement of the beam is pivotal from an open position to a closed position where it is essentially parallel to the transverse groove. 
   The lock-off beam can be secured in the second, essentially parallel position by any of several means, the preferable being a spring-loaded plunger on its free end whereby the spring-loaded plunger has a protruding lip which can engage a similar reversed lip in the base. The lock-off beam is provided with left and right extending walls which fall in the transverse groove in the base on either side of the knurled rib in the transverse groove. When the automobile seat belt (or seat belt and combined shoulder belt) are captured between the transverse groove and the extending walls of the lock-off beam, they are forced into a “W” form and pushed into the knurled rib thus greatly diminishing the ability of the seat belt(s) to move relative to the base. 
   A mounting and storage component is provided for the LATCH belts when required to be supplied with infant car seats. This solves the LATCH belt storage problem by making pockets on either side of the base adjacent to the belt path. The pockets have securing sockets and the LATCH belt ends are secured into these sockets. When the LATCH belt ends are stored, the belt path is entirely free to use a standard automobile seatbelt. 
   It is an object of this invention wherein the mechanism controlling the handle angle uses an intermediate plate with an elongated slot to greatly increase handle strength and reliability. 
   It is another object of this invention wherein the method of adjusting the shoulder belt height uses an external moving panel which is intuitive, simple and requires no rethreading of belts and no hard components in the infant seating area. 
   It is still another object of this invention wherein the infant seat to base attachment uses a simple, reliable and strong two or more point attachment combined with a locating “bucket.” 
   It is still yet another object of this invention to provide a means of achieving angular adjustments of the base wherein the adjustment means is accessible when the infant car seat is installed in an automobile with the infant seat installed on the base. 
   It is a further object of this invention to provide child harness belts which are easily removable. 
   In comparison to Prior Art devices which use a plunger and teeth arrangement to control the handle angle, most of which have not been strong enough and have been recalled, none uses metal-to-metal engagement, and none use an intermediate plate to reduce twisting of the locking plunger. 
   Wherein most infant carriers use simple slots which require belt rethreading to change the belt position, and others use elongated slots with sliding plates, none uses an external sliding panel secured to the exterior of the infant carrier which is easy to use and has no component on or near the seating surface. 
   Wherein many infant carriers use a rear release handle on the carrier or base in which to attach infant seats to bases, and while most have mating hooks and latches of some sort, none have at least a pair of notched metal plates protruding from a recessed locating bucket which are engaged by a metal axle and whereby the axle is released from the notched metal plates by a release handle mounted to the exterior of the infant carrier such that the natural motion of picking up the infant carrier is compatible with and encourages the movement required to release the infant carrier from the base. 
   Wherein other manufacturers use multiple methods to achieve angular adjustment, and wherein for example, Graco uses a pivoting front base with an inconvenient latching means which is not accessible when the base is installed and is limited to three positions, and whereas Evenflo uses a screw adjustment which is flimsy and not accessible with the seat installed, and further wherein others use flipper panels which are limited to two positions and require removal of the base to adjust, none of these methods offers the convenience afforded by an externally driven adjustable front foot of the present invention. 
   And wherein others have harnesses that are removable for washing for example, none is removable by simply folding out two belt retainers as shown and illustrated on the present invention. 
   The invention as described below is different from the above devices in at least the following aspects: (a) the metal-to-metal mechanism with an intermediate plate is stronger and very reliable; (b) the rear-mounted belt height adjuster panel is very easy to understand and use, others are not; (c) the rear, centrally mounted belt height adjuster is operated entirely from the rear of the seat and the means of operation is compatible with and encourages the intended result; (d) the base angle adjustment is infinite and accessible when both the base and the infant seat are installed in an automobile and does not require removal of the auto seat belt or LATCH belt to allow adjustment; and (d) the harness retention system is simple and easy-to-understand and thus is less likely to be used incorrectly. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the infant carrier positioned in its base for use as an infant car seat; 
       FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the infant carrier of  FIG. 1  removed from its base for use as an infant carrier; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom rear perspective of the infant carrier of  FIG. 2 , 
       FIG. 3   a  is an exploded view of the belt height adjustment panel in its upper position illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 3   b  is a bottom rear perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the infant carrier of  FIG. 2  illustrating rear belt length adjustment and also showing the belt height adjustment panel in its lower position; 
       FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the interior of the plastic shell of the infant carrier of  FIG. 2  with its foam liner and adjuster bezel removed; 
       FIG. 5  is a partial bottom view of the belt retention means; 
       FIG. 6  is an assembly view of the infant carrier release mechanism and the infant shoulder belt adjustment mechanism; 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the shoulder belt adjustment mechanism taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of the handle hubs of the infant carrier with hub covers removed on each hub; 
       FIG. 8   a  is an enlarged partial fragmentary assembly view of the handle hubs with outer handle hub housing removed; 
       FIG. 9  is an assembly view of the gear segment mechanism of the hubs of  FIG. 8 , 
       FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the infant base; 
       FIG. 11  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the belt lock-off taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary top perspective view of the belt lock-off in its open position; 
       FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of the infant base illustrating LATCH belts; 
       FIG. 14  is an assembly view of the base with the top of the base removed to illustrate the height adjustment mechanism 
       FIG. 14   a  is an exploded fragmentary assembly view of the base with its top removed and one inclined plane removed illustrating one cylindrical projection of the cam follower used to effect vertical movement of the movable portion of the base which is visible; 
       FIG. 14   b  is a side view of the infant carrier and base with the movable portion in its retracted position positioned on a rear automobile car seat showing a more upright infant seating position; 
       FIG. 14   c  is a side view of  FIG. 14   b  with the movable portion in its extended position on a rear automobile car seat showing a more reclined infant seating position; 
       FIG. 15  is a bottom partial fragmentary view of one of the base LATCH belt storage and securing compartments; and 
       FIG. 16  is a front perspective view of an infant carrier positioned above a carriage stroller prior to fastening engagement with a pair of forwardly-facing upwardly-extending J-shaped hooks, the carrier illustrated with belt restraining web removed. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings wherein the drawings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same, the figures show a separable infant carrier/car seat combination. The infant carrier may be used alone to carry or seat an infant, or in combination with a base to transport an infant in an automobile. The infant car seat has two main components; an infant carrier and a base into which the infant carrier fits and is removably secured. The base consists of a platform with a seat receiving contour which at least partially mates with the bottom of the infant seat, a set of automobile seatbelt receiving openings on its left and right sides, and a bottom panel, part of which is fixed, and part of which is movable by an angle adjusting means to adjust the angle of the base when it is positioned on an automobile seat. Further, the base cooperates with the removable securement means of the infant carrier to allow the infant carrier to be either attached or released from the base. 
   The infant carrier/car seat combination  10  has a removable infant carrier component  20  with adjustable carrying means  70  and child restraining means  50  in combination with a releasably mating receiving base  40  for securing the carrier component therein.  FIG. 1  illustrates infant carrier/car seat  10  in combination with child restraining means  50  (interchangeably referred to as a restraint harness) positioned in its upper position through its threading engagement with belt height positioning means  80  while  FIG. 2  illustrates the infant carrier removed from receiving base  40  and the child restraint harness illustrated in its lowered position. As shown in those figures, removable infant carrier  20  has an outer plastic shell  88  with an upper plastic seat back region  22  and lower plastic seat region  24 . This outer plastic shell is optionally at least partially lined with a foam inner liner  92  having a bottom seating surface  14  with left  16   a  and right  16   b  curvilinear foam carrier seat raised sides, and a back surface  12  with left  18   a  and right  18   b  curvilinear foam carrier back side panels, the designation left and right being determined from the perspective of a viewer looking toward the infant carrier/car seat base with its seating surface in closest proximity to the viewer. The infant seat is formed of a molded plastic shell lined with an expanded polystyrene foam liner, much like a helmet. The plastic shell and expanded foam are secured to each other by mechanical means or an adhesive or combinations thereof, so that they act cooperatively to produce a more rigid structure. 
   The outer contour of molded foam inner liner  92  at least partially approximates the inner contour of outer plastic shell  88  and has a thickness so that its inner contour becomes the inner seating surface, back surface, and sides of the infant carrier. The foam liner serves to attenuate impact forces, reduce the likelihood of penetration of the shell, and provide a more contiguous seating surface than the molded seat shell. Foam densities and energy absorbing properties can be varied by the particular foam material and formulation selected. 
   Infant carrier  20  also has an adjustable carrying means  70  which includes carry handle  74  pivotable about right  78   b  and left  78   a  hubs with optional foam covering  76  affixed about at least a portion of the handle. Child restraining means  50  includes a harness system including buckle  60 , seatbelt webbing (variously  54 ,  56   a ,  56   b ,  58   a ,  58   b ), means to adjust the shoulder belt height  100  for various sized infants through hour-glass slots  64  in the foam inner liner  92  as well as corresponding hour-glass slots  34  in outer plastic shell  88 , and means to adjust the harness length  82  for various sized infants. Securing engagement of one end of the child seatbelt webbing includes means to fasten buckle  60  in the infant carrier through slotted buckle web opening  86  using crotch strap  54  as well as child lap belt webbing retaining means through side seat slotted openings  72  for the left  56   a  and right  56   b  child lap belts.  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate a five-point harness system consisting of crotch strap  54  in conjunction with child shoulder belts  58   a ,  58   b  which are contiguous with child lap belts  56   a ,  56   b  by threading through apertured buckle inserts  62   a ,  62   b  respectively. In a three-point harness system, the child lap belts are not present. Slotted child shoulder belt positioning means  66  is optionally threadably engaged with left  58   a  and right  58   b  child shoulder belts. Belt length adjustment means  84  is positioned toward a front center of the carrier with trim bezel  82  and slotted opening  90  for length adjustment web  52  which through its interconnectivity with the other child restraint belts in the rear of the carrier will simultaneously adjust the fit of these belts as well. 
   As better illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , illustrating infant carrier  20  removed from its receiving base  40 , the infant carrier has generally curved arcuate runners  96  with front  98  and back  94  walls. The curved runners optionally have at least one raised rubber runner  102  (better illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) positioned at least along a portion of each curved runner  96 , the raised rubber runners on the curved segment of runners  96  softening noise and preventing sliding which would otherwise be created when rocking infant carrier  20  when removed from receiving base  40 . Raised rubber runners  102  on infant carrier  20  are similar to rocking runners common to most infant carriers and are inserted into the shell and formed into an arc underneath the back and seating surfaces. They are spaced apart to allow the molded seat shell center bottom contour to assume an independent shape. 
   Curved runners  96  have at least one pair of bottom apertures  104  for releasable engagement of a pair of upwardly-extending rearward-facing hooks  128  as described subsequently for releasably securing infant carrier  20  into receiving base  40 . Optionally, a second pair of bottom openings  106  as better shown in  FIG. 5 , are present toward the front of curved runners  96  for pivotally securing engagement of left  56   a  and right  56   b  child lap belt webbing via anchor clips  108 . 
   Angled back panel  120  of infant carrier is generally recessed at an angle to back walls  94  and further includes rear slot  42  for threading of length adjustment web  52  into clip  112  in threaded communication with left  58   a  and right  58   b  child restraint shoulder webbing passing through slightly angled slotted openings  116  in child restraint webbing height adjustment means  100 . In a manner to be more fully described in this application, belt height adjustment means  100  is slidably repositionable through cooperation with height adjustment knob  114  through engagement with angled back panel  120 . Toward the top of rear outer plastic shell  88  is recess  118  for releasing the locking engagement of infant carrier  20  from receiving base  40  by upward movement in a manner subsequently described. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates the interior of outer plastic shell  88  with foam inner liner  92  removed and better illustrates the belt path of length adjustment web  52  after passing through slotted opening  90  in trim bezel  84  (which would be positioned on top of the foam inner liner  92 ). Length adjustment web  52  passes through apertured plastic guide  32  as well as through slotted seat floor guide  30  for egress through rear slot  42  in angled back panel  120  and into secured engagement with clip  112  better illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Depressing belt adjustment means  82  permits disengagement thereof with resulting lengthening of length adjustment web  52  and its corresponding lengthening of child shoulder belts  58   a  and  58   b  through their interconnectivity with clip  112 . Tighter engagement is achieved by the application of an outward force to the end of length adjustment web  52  without the need for depression of belt adjustment means  82  (or equivalently release tab). Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIG. 3   b , belt length adjustment may be positioned at the rear of the carrier when rear harness adjustment means  240  is positioned at any applicable location on the rear of outer plastic shell  88  or adjustment panel rear surface  142 . 
   Left  56   a  and right  56   b  child lap belts are securely engaged into infant carrier  20  in curved runners  96  by anchor clip  108  pivotably secured in second pair of bottom apertures  106  (better illustrated in  FIG. 3 ). Securing engagement is effected into the interior of the carrier base by bracket  26  with slot  28  (better illustrated in  FIG. 4 ) providing the pathway for the belt web to pass through side seat slotted child lap belt openings  72  in foam inner liner  92  illustrated in  FIG. 2  for connection via either buckle insert  62   a  or  62   b  into buckle  60 . 
   The interior side of angled panel  120  has a grid matrix  36  with recesses  38 , at least two recesses  38  are open through outer plastic shell  88 , although preferably at least four through holes  39  will be present as illustrated in  FIG. 3   a ) dimensioned for mating engagement with projections  122  on an interior side of belt height adjustment means  100  through sliding movement of height adjustment knob  114 , the projections penetrating into at least one, preferably two or more holes  39  in grid matrix  36  in angled back panel  120 . As better illustrated in  FIG. 3   a  and  FIG. 6 , upward and downward movement of height adjusting means  100  is achieved by overcoming the inward biasing force of spring  136  and the simultaneous application of up or down force by a user with height adjustment knob  114  and engagement block  132  with projections  122  through interconnection via recessed screw attachment  134 . A pair of overlapping securing guides  144  ( FIG. 3 ) are positioned at each lateral extremity of belt height adjustment means  100 , the securing guides configured to permit up and down movement of adjustment means  100  in a channel created between securing guides  144  and the rear surface of outer plastic shell  88 , the channel depth approximating the thickness  146  of belt height adjustment means  100 . Underlying the two hourglass slots  64  in foam inner liner  92  and corresponding hourglass slots  34  in outer plastic shell  88  are two preferably racetrack-shaped slightly inwardly-penetrating and preferably angled belt height positioning means  80  (e.g., slots) which guide and position left  58   a  and right  58   b  child shoulder belts. The inward penetration of height positioning means  80  is essentially the same as the thickness of the height adjustment panel or less and is better illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
   Releasable securing engagement of the infant carrier into the receiving base for use as a car seat is achieved by release mechanism means  110 . The mechanism has a recess  118  which is dimensioned to accept at least one (preferably more) fingers of a user when providing an upward force on the mechanism. Extending downwardly and secured to the rear of release mechanism means  110  are a pair of left  124   a  and right  124   b  arms, (although only one connector is required) each of which preferably terminate in angled slotted openings  220  at a base thereof, the angle measured with respect to the longitudinal axis of arms  124   a  and  124   b , the opening dimensioned to preferably accept a cylindrical rod  126  positioned there between. Slotted openings  220 , which may preferably be racetrack-shaped, defines a pathway within which the rod may move in conjunction with supports  46  which extend above the floor of outer plastic housing  88  by pedestal supports  48  and are secured at each end by fastening means  44  such as screws. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 , rod  126  is biased toward a front of the carrier by rod biasing means  148 , e.g., a spring secured about rod  126  at one end and into the forward fastening means  44  at its opposed end. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the orientation and mechanism of operation of the releasable securing engagement could be reversed using simple engineering principles. 
   Securing engagement is effected by positioning carrier bottom openings  104  above upwardly-extending rearward-facing hooks  128  affixed to receiving base  40  and allowing penetration of the same into the openings. Upon impingement of rod  126  upon the top of declined surface  150 , the rod will move along the declined surface as well as within the preferred racetrack openings  220  and the gap between pedestal base  48  and rear fastening means  44 . Upon reaching the end of the declined surface, rod  126  will return to its originally biased forward position and seat against the back of slot  68  in upwardly-extending rearward-facing hook  128 . Removal of the carrier from its base involves a reversal of many of the previous steps, and requires upward movement of release mechanism means  110  overcoming the inherent biasing of rod biasing means  148  through the translation of vertical movement into horizontal rearward movement by the cooperation of preferred racetrack opening  220  pulling the rod rearward and thus concomitantly moving rod  126  to the tip of slot  68  in hook  128 , thereby allowing removal of the carrier with resulting return of rod  126  to its original spring-biased position with return of the release mechanism to its original position. Once again, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the rearward-facing hooks could be reversed using simple engineering principles. Preferably hooks  128  and rod  126  are metal, although reinforced plastic is also capable of being used. 
   Infant carrier  20  has a carrying handle  74  which straddles the carrier. Each leg of the handle is affixed to hubs on the exterior sides of outer plastic shell  88 . The handle is pivotable about an axis for repositioning of the handle between a carrying position as illustrated in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4  and at least one reclined position as illustrated better in  FIG. 14   c . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 8   a  and  FIG. 9 , outer plastic shell  88  has a molded hub  78   a  and  78   b  integrally attached on either side with handle axis  152  having an aligned axis passing there between. These handle hubs are pivotally secured to outer plastic shell  88  on this axis optionally using a fastening means  154 , e.g., a rivet, screw, etc., such that they can rotate to a more-or-less vertical position, a position beyond horizontal to the rear, or any of several other selectable positions between. A series of teeth or gear segments  156 , preferably stamped of metal, but alternatively of strong plastic is secured to or molded into the inside of the hubs on the plastic outer shell. A sliding plate  158  with laterally protruding pin  160  optionally having a protruding pin head  230  secured to the sliding plate preferably by welding such that sliding plate and protruding pin  160  move together in a sliding manner toward or away from the axis  152  of the hub. The protruding pin moves within elongated slot  234  and employs biasing means  162 , e.g., spring, to bias sliding plate  158  away from the hub. Protruding pin  160  is so positioned that it engages gear segment  156  mounted to the shell hub when it is in its outward position as achieved by the spring bias. When protruding pin  160  is engaged in gear segment  156 , rotation of handle  74  is fixed relative to outer plastic shell  88 . 
   An extension of sliding plate  158  penetrates the outer surface of carry handle hubs  78   a  and  78   b  and is crowned by plastic push button  164 . Upon depression of push button  164 , sliding plate  158  overcomes the outward bias of biasing means  162  and disengages protruding pin  160  from gear segment  156 . Carry handle  74  rotation relative to plastic shell  88  may then be adjusted. Releasing push button  164  allows biasing means  162  to re-engage protruding pin  160  with gear segment  156  thus re-securing carry handle  74  rotation relative to outer plastic shell  88 . The strength of the handle locking means described above is dependent on at least the strength of the materials selected, the distance of the gear segment from the axis, and the geometry of the gear segment. It is also dependent on the proximity of the sliding plate from the gear segment since at greater distances, protruding pin  160  and sliding plate  158  will tend to twist on the sliding axis. To decrease the tendency of the sliding plate and extending pin to twist on the sliding axis, fixed guide plate  166  is mounted to the inside of the handle hub, sandwiched between gear segment  156  and sliding plate  158 . Fixed guide plate  166  has an elongated slot  234  which allows extending pin  160  to travel inward and outward from the pivot axis, but lessens its tendency to twist about the sliding axis by the presence of elongated slot  234  which permits sliding movement of protruding pin  160  through fixed guide plate  166  as best illustrated in  FIG. 8   a . The movement of protruding pin  160  is fixed in sliding plate  158  while axle  152  is permitted to move within elongated slot  236  while correspondingly, protruding pin  160  is permitted to move within guide plate  166  while axle  152  is fixed. Elongated slot  234  resists any tendency of protruding pin  160  to twist. Preferably, both sliding plate  158  and fixed guide plate  166  are made of metal, although once again, reinforced plastic may also be used. 
   As discussed previously, but now in the context of more fully describing the belt pathways, the seatbelt system consists of a three or five-point harness, consisting of a central buckle  60  from which radiate either: two child shoulder belts ( 58   a  and  58   b ) and a crotch strap ( 54 ); or two child shoulder belts ( 58   a  and  58   b ), two child lap belts ( 56   a  and  56   b ), and a crotch strap ( 54 ). In either case, the shoulder belts pass through hourglass slots  64  in foam inner liner  92  as well as corresponding hourglass slots  34  in plastic outer shell  88  and join either permanently or removably to single length adjustment belt  52  by clip  112 . In the preferred embodiment, length adjustment belt  52  has a sewn loop about one slot in clip  112 . Left  58   a  and right  58   b  child shoulder belts preferably pass through a second slot in clip  112 , each returning to the front of the car seat by passing through left and right child shoulder belt slots. In the case of a five-point harness, the two shoulder belts pass through the left  62   a  and right  62   b  buckle inserts and become the left  56   a  and right  56   b  child lap belts. These lap belt portions of the harness pass through bottom seat surface of seat portion  14  of foam inner liner  92  and slots  28  in outer plastic shell  88  and are secured by belt anchor clips  108  in second pair of openings  106  for engagement with slotted brackets  26  in outer plastic shell  88 . 
   As better illustrated in  FIG. 5 , left and right lap belt anchor clips  108  pivot on a belt anchor axis positioned on one side of the anchor from a position relatively flush with the bottom surface of outer plastic shell  88  to a position protruding from the shell. When the left and right belt anchor clips are in their protruding position, terminating loops  59  of left  56   a  and right  56   b  lap belts may pass through slots  28  in slotted brackets  26  in outer plastic shell  88  and be placed over the length of belt anchor clips  108 . When the belt anchor clips are again folded to their flush position, the lap belts are secured, they can neither come off of the belt anchor clips, nor can they pass back through the molded shell. This arrangement allows for a single piece lap/shoulder belt which forms both the left and right sides. Anchoring the ends is easy and semi-permanent. The belts can be easily removed for cleaning, but in normal usage are secure. 
   Length adjustment belt  52  is secured at one end to clip  112  and passes through rear slot  42  in the back of outer plastic shell  88  into a void between the shell and foam inner liner  92 . This adjustment belt continues toward the front of the carrier between the molded seat shell and the foam inner liner until it meets and is adjustably secured by harness length adjustment means  82  mounted to the inside of outer plastic shell  88  and penetrating foam inner liner  92 . The tail of length adjustment belt  52  beyond the adjuster emerges to bottom seating surface  14  of foam inner liner  92 . By means of harness length adjustment means  82 , length adjustment belt  52  can be made either longer or shorter allowing the harness to accommodate various sizes of infants. 
   Shoulder belt height adjuster means  100  include elongated hourglass slots  34  in outer plastic shell  88  and corresponding hourglass slots  64  in molded foam liner at the point where each shoulder belt passes through them. The slots are of sufficient width to accommodate the shoulder belts and sufficient height so that the belts are free to move from a low position to fit a small infant to a high position to fit a larger infant, or alternatively, any position in-between. The width of each slot may be constricted between the low position and the high position (or intermediate positions if allowed) to minimize the loss of seating surface provided that it is wide enough that each shoulder belt can easily deform and move between the low position and the high position. Adjustment panel  142  is moveably secured to the outside of molded outer plastic shell  88  and is provided with left and right belt height positioning means  80  through which the left and right shoulder belts pass as they travel from the seating side of the foam inner liner to behind the outer plastic shell. Adjustment panel  142  and associated belt height positioning means  80  are allowed to travel so that belt height positioning means  80  travel between the lowest allowable shoulder belt position to the highest shoulder belt position. 
   The shoulder belts are secured in any of several height positions (in the preferred embodiment, only a low and a high position are illustrated in  FIG. 3   a ) by securing adjustment panel  142  to outer plastic shell  88  in any of several corresponding positions. This fastening can be of several means, the preferred being a spring biased engagement block  132  mounted to adjustment panel  142  such that projections  122  on engagement block  132  engage through holes  39  in the outer plastic shell. The spring biased engagement block  132  can be easily disengaged from the molded plastic shell by means of height adjustment knob  114  connected to it by screw attachment  134  and accessible from the back of the outer plastic shell. Moving the shoulder belt height is easy-to-understand and physically intuitive, the operator simply pulls height adjustment knob  114  and moves adjustment panel  142  (and thus the shoulder belts by virtue of their threading into belt height positioning means  80 ) to the desired position. Moving adjustment panel  142  up raises the shoulder belts while moving this panel down lowers the shoulder belts. 
   As shown in  FIG. 10 , receiving base  40  is molded plastic with carrier seat receiving contours which mate with infant carrier  20  as well as with curved runners  96  of the infant carrier. The underside of lower surface  170  rests on an automobile seat. Near one end, the base has an opening on either side ( 172 ,  174 ) which allows passage of and retention of an automobile seat belt  176  and a relatively linear path between the two openings so that the automobile seat belt can pass directly from one opening to the other. These two openings and linear path form an automobile belt path. 
   Although the user can use an automobile seat belt to secure receiving base  40  into an automobile, newer automobiles have special fixed anchorages for children&#39;s car seats, and the manufacturers of children&#39;s car seats also supply custom belt systems which must be permanently attached to the children&#39;s car seats. This system is known as LATCH. The belt path described above also accommodates the LATCH belt system. As shown in  FIG. 13 , receiving base  40  has a LATCH belt, or more properly, two LATCH belts  178   a ,  178   b . A left LATCH belt  178   a  attaches to the belt path near its left end, and a right LATCH belt  178   b  attaches to the belt path near its right end. Thus the left and right LATCH belts are independently secured to receiving base  40  and, since their ends are secured, there is no relative movement possible between receiving base  40  and any LATCH belt as would be possible if the LATCH belt were one continuous piece. As shown in  FIG. 15 , the LATCH belt ends are stored in storage compartments within receiving base  40 . Each LATCH belt end  224  has a respective storage region  228  in the fixed component  198 . Posts  226  interface with clasps  224  on each LATCH belt for convenient storage thereof in conjunction with LATCH belt adjusters  222  of the LATCH belts. 
   When an automobile seat belt is used to secure the base in an automobile the automobile seat belt  176  is routed across the belt path from one opening  172  to the other  174  and secured. If an automobile seat belt with a shoulder belt is used, both are passed across the belt path. Slack is then worked out of the automobile seat belt and it is made as tight as possible and thus secures the base as securely as possible to the automobile seat. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the base is provided with lock-off  180  located in the belt path to more firmly secure the automobile seat belt to the base and help prevent any sideward relative sliding between the base and the automobile seat belt. The lock-off further aids in securing the base when the automobile lap/shoulder belt has a free-sliding latch plate and an emergency locking shoulder belt by clamping the lap and shoulder belts together and minimizing potential movement between them. Lock-off  180  comprises a transverse groove  202  in receiving base  40  in the central part of the belt path. A raised rib  182  with a knurl  184  is positioned in the center of transverse groove  202 . Hollow channel lock-off beam  186  is pivotally attached to receiving base  40  at one end of transverse groove  202  through apertured openings in beam channel  186  through which is inserted pivot pin  204  captured within pivot housing  206  and can pivot from an open position ( FIG. 12 ) to a closed position ( FIG. 10 ) where it is essentially parallel to the transverse groove. 
   As shown in  FIG. 11 , lock-off beam  186  can be secured in the second, essentially parallel position by any of several means, the preferable being spring-biased  194  plunger  196  on its free end whereby the spring-biased plunger has a protruding lip  188  which can engage a similar reversed lip  190  in the base. Lock-off beam is provided with left extending wall  192   a  and right extending wall  192   b  which fall in transverse groove  202  in receiving base  40  on either side of knurled  184  rib  182  in the transverse groove. When the automobile seat belt (or seat belt and combined shoulder belt) are captured between transverse groove  202  with knurled  184  rib  182  and the extending walls ( 192   a ,  192   b ) of lock-off beam  186 , they are forced into a “W” form and pushed into the knurled rib thus greatly diminishing the ability of the seat belt(s) to move relative to receiving base  40 . 
   Lower surface  170  of receiving base  40  is divided into two parts, one of which is fixed  198 , the other which is movably attached  200  to the base so that it can control the angle of the base relative to horizontal, thus changing the angle of the infant carrier and the infant&#39;s seating angle. In the preferred embodiment, fixed base component  198  is secured to the bottom of receiving base  40  and movable base component  200 , in the form of a front foot, protrudes from an opening in the front of fixed base component  198  and is guided by any of several means on a vertical axis within a defined range of travel. The more front foot  200  protrudes, the more reclined the seating angle. 
   Angular control of the movable panel is achieved by turning knob  208  on threaded rod  210  running the length of receiving base  40  and rotatably attached to the base. Turning knob  208  moves a matingly threaded follower  212  on threaded portion  214  of rod  210 . Lateral extensions  216  (of which only one is shown in  FIG. 14   a ) on follower  212  drive against inclined track  218   a  or  218   b , the top portion of  218   b  being removed for purposes of illustration in  FIG. 14   a , on front movable base component  200  driving the movable base component out of telescoping opening  242  if the knob is turned one direction and in if the knob is turned in the opposed direction. Knob  208  is accessible at all times and adjustment can be affected with infant carrier  20  on receiving base  40  or not on the base. Access is continuously available without removing or unfastening the automobile seat belt or LATCH belt. 
   As better illustrated in  FIG. 14   b  and  FIG. 14   c , infant carrier/car seat combination  10  is positioned into rear vehicle seats  244  in a manner which reverses the designations of front and rear discussed in this application. The front of combination  10  is placed toward the rear of the car seat, thereby allowing a user complete access to belt height adjustment means  100 , release means  110  and base height adjustment knob  208  which as discussed previously, are positioned at a rear of carrier  20 , but are now facing toward the front of an automobile. In addition, belt length adjustment is also accessible to a user in that belt length adjustment web protrudes from the carrier from a top surface thereof. 
   In an alternate embodiment, fixed base component  198  is permanently attached to the rear of the base and has a bottom contour which is somewhat concave in the middle so that it will not rock on a contoured automobile seat. Moveable base component  200  is attached to the base on a transverse axis near the bottom of the base and near the center of the base length, and can pivot on that axis within a defined angle. Links attached to the follower and the movable panel changes the angle of the moveable panel as the knob is turned and the follower moves. 
   While the invention has been described with reference to the combination of an infant carrier  20  positioned in a receiving base  40 , there is no need to limit the invention to such. In fact, what is important is that the receiving base have at least one upwardly extending essentially J-shaped hook for releasably securing engagement therewith. In one embodiment of this invention, receiving base  40  is substituted with carriage stroller  250  which as illustrated in  FIG. 16 , has a pair of upwardly-extending forward-facing J-shaped hooks  246  for insertion into corresponding openings  104  in rocker base  96  of carrier  20  (not shown). J-shaped hooks  246  are dimensioned such that downward positioning of infant carrier toward floor  248  will effect engagement of rod  126  into slotted openings of the hooks in a manner analogous to that described previously with respect to  FIG. 6 . 
   This invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, including the respective best modes for carrying out each embodiment. In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied there from beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1