Patent ID: 7726734

Claim:
A child safety seat, comprising: (a) a seat frame including a seat bottom, a seat back and a headrest; (b) first and second elongate, resilient impact-resisting side elements positioned outboard of respective laterally-opposed sides of the seat back and headrest, the first and second impact-resisting side elements extending from proximate respective laterally-opposed sides of the headrest to a position proximate a seating surface of the seat bottom, and comprising walls defining a unitary chamber having an interior volume; (c) an air flow opening in the walls of the chamber for permitting air flow communication between the interior volume of the chamber and surrounding ambient air; (d) the resilient side elements having a wall thickness and construction permitting deformation of the side elements at a controlled rate in response to a side impact; and (e) wherein each side element is mounted to the seat back with at least one mechanical fastener, and further wherein the at least one mechanical fastener is mounted to the seat back through the air flow opening.