Patent ID: 8240761

Claim:
A coupling for securing a child seat to lower anchor member of a vehicle, comprising: a main body member having an open end capable receiving a lower anchor, attached to a vehicle, therein; a pawl rotatably connected to the main body member; the pawl including a tooth defining an anchor seat region, a lower portion, a rear bearing seat, and a back seat notch; the pawl being rotatable between a locked condition where the tooth spans across the open end of the main body member and prevents the lower anchor from being removed from the anchor seat region and an open condition where the lower anchor can freely move in and out of the anchor seat region and be separated from the main body member; a lower impact member connected to the main body member and being linearly spring-biased into communication with the lower portion of the pawl thereby urging the pawl to rotate in a first direction to remove the tooth from the open end; a carriage connected to the main body and being spring-biased into communication with the rear bearing seat of the pawl thereby preventing the pawl from rotating in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to remove the tooth from the anchor seat region via the open end; and a button connected to the carriage and having a direction of travel; the carriage being in communication with the back seat notch of the pawl when the button is not depressed; the carriage being separated from the back seat notch of the pawl when the button is depressed; the lower impact member communicating with the lower portion of the pawl, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the button, to pivot the pawl into an open condition suitable for receipt of an anchor member into the anchor seat region of the pawl via the open end thereof when the button is depressed and the carriage communicates with the back seat notch of the pawl when the button is not depressed.