Patent ID: 8128165

Claim:
A child restraint comprising a juvenile vehicle seat; an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including a first air bag formed to include a first air chamber and valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a first air-discharge port only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to an external impact force associated with an external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the first air-discharge port to an opened position opening the first air-discharge port; wherein the valveless-vent means is defined by a porous material configured to discharge therethrough pressurized air extant in the first air chamber during deformation of the first air bag and configured to provide means for readmitting air from surroundings outside the first air hag into the first air chamber once the first air bag is no longer exposed to the external impact force applied previously to the first air bag; wherein the first air bag includes a top portion, a bottom portion arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the top portion to define the first air chamber therebetween, and a side wall arranged to interconnect the top and bottom portions and to define a boundary of the first air chamber and the side wall is formed to include a first opening and a first portion of the porous material is coupled to the side wall and arranged to close the first opening; and wherein the side wall includes a strip comprising a first segment made of a non-porous material, a second segment made of a non-porous material, and a third segment made of a non-porous material, a first portion of the porous material is arranged to lie between and interconnect the first and second segments, and a second portion of the porous material is arranged to lie between and interconnect the second and third segments.