Modular child restraint system

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DESCRIPTION

Active fixing base for a modular child restraint system

Background of the invention

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to the field of transport safety and more specifically to child seats for use in vehicles.

Description of the prior art

Child car seats have made car trips substantially safer for children; However, as most parents know, properly installing such seats is often difficult and sometimes frustrating. Usually, the installation of such seats requires the use of cumbersome seat belt clips, the need to pass the seat belt through narrow spaces, and the need to pull as hard as possible to the end of the seat belt by putting at the same time the entire weight of the body in the child seat. Thus, child car seats are often improperly installed because adults do not know how to properly install the vehicle seat, do not use the time necessary to properly perform the installation, or are physically unable to make the necessary leverage required to sufficiently tighten the seat belt that secures the child seat.

Therefore, what is needed is a child car seat that is installed quickly, easily and fixedly.

US 2003/151286 A1 describes a seat assembly for use with a vehicle seat and anchor mounts arranged on or near the vehicle seat. The seat assembly includes a base for placement in the vehicle seat and a vehicle anchor system adapted to engage the anchor mounts. The base includes a pair of openings to receive a portion of the vehicle anchoring system. The vehicle anchoring system includes an anchoring strap adapted to fit the anchor mounts. The anchor strap includes a strip that has a central portion, opposite end portions, and a clasp coupled to each end portion and adapted to engage one of the anchor mounts. The anchor strap is passed through the openings to place the seat in an anchored position facing backwards in the vehicle seat. The vehicle anchoring system also includes a belt attached to the base and the central portion of the anchor belt.

Summary

According to the present invention, a base is provided for attaching a child restraint system to a vehicle seat with a vehicle seat belt or the vehicle LATCH system (lower anchors and child straps), including the base:

a platform configured to rest on the vehicle seat;

a vertical element pivotally mounted or articulated on the platform and for contacting a vehicle seat backrest; and

a tensioning device including a force multiplication mechanism for tensioning the vehicle seat belt or the vehicle LATCH system when the seat belt or the LATCH system is engaged with the vertical element, and where the tensioning device moves the vertical element with platform relationship.

A child restraint system for use in vehicles such as cars is described and illustrated below. The system includes a seat portion and a base. In modular embodiments of the system, the base and the seat portion are releasable. In other embodiments the two are integrally linked.

The basis of the invention fixes the child restraint system to a vehicle seat, the vehicle restraint device being a seat belt or a LATCH system (lower anchors and child restraints). The base includes means for engaging the vehicle retention device and force multiplication means for tensioning the vehicle retention device. Tensioning the vehicle retention device fixes the base by pushing the base against the vehicle seat.

The vehicle retention device is a seat belt attached to the vehicle seat, or a LATCH system including a LATCH anchor mounted on the vehicle seat and a LATCH strap mounted on the base. In the case of the seat belt, the means for engaging the vehicle retention device may include a clasp, or similar fastening device, to receive the seat belt. In the case of the LATCH system, the means for engaging the vehicle retention device may include clips that mount the LATCH belts in their respective anchors. The force multiplication means for tensioning the device

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Vehicle retention can be any device, whether mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or other, that provides a mechanical advantage when tensioning the vehicle retention device. Mechanical examples employ screws, levers, augers, or ratchet mechanism assemblies, for example.

An exemplary embodiment of the base includes a platform configured to rest on the vehicle seat, a vertical element mounted on the platform, and a tensioning device including a force multiplication mechanism for tensioning the vehicle retention device. The vertical element is oriented so that it substantially contacts the back of the vehicle seat. When the vehicle retention device is tensioned, the vertical element is pushed against the seat back while the platform is pushed down to the seat tray. The base may also include a foot, which in some embodiments is configured to extend between the back cushions and the seat of the vehicle seat.

In several embodiments the platform and the vertical element are pivotally or articulated. The tensioning device moves the vertical element in relation to the platform. In some embodiments, the vertical element can be conveniently folded onto the platform when not in use.

The tensioning device may include, for example, a mother spindle, an auger, or a ratchet mechanism to provide a mechanical advantage. The mechanical advantage allows the user, or other power source such as an electric motor, to impart substantial tension to the vehicle retention device. Thus, in some embodiments, the tensioning device includes a torque limiter to avoid excessive tension and potential damage to the vehicle seat or base.

Embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The apparatus illustrated in Figure 6 is not according to the present invention, but rather shows the technical background that may be useful for understanding the basis of the present invention.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary base, according to an embodiment of the present invention, fixed to a vehicle seat and viewed from a side perspective.

Figures 2 and 3 show a schematic representation of an exemplary base, according to another embodiment of the present invention, in two alternative positions.

Figure 4 is a side view of an exemplary base, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a side view of an exemplary modular child restraint system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is a side view of a schematic representation of a base that is not according to the present invention.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of another exemplary base, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another exemplary base, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of another exemplary base, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of another exemplary base, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary base, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a base, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a tensioning device employing an auger.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a base, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a tensioning device employing a ratchet mechanism.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a base, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a screw type tensioning device.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a base, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a screw type tensioning mechanism.

Figure 16 is an exploded view of a torque control button according to an embodiment of the invention.

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Figures 17 and 18 show perspective views of a folding base according to an embodiment of the invention in two different positions.

Figure 19 is a side view of a tensioning device of another folding base according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention provides child restraint systems for use in vehicles such as cars, airplanes, ships, buses, etc. The retention system includes a seat portion and a base. The seat portion holds the child and is typically provided with a retention mechanism such as a harness. The base serves as the primary interface between the seat portion and the vehicle and is designed to be mounted. The base advantageously provides greater child safety, ease of use, and ease of installation and removal. The retention system can be modular or integral. In the modular versions, the seat portion can be released from the base, while in the integral versions the two are permanently attached. An advantage of the modular design is that the same base can be used to support seat portions that are adapted for different stages of childhood, for example, for babies, toddlers, and older children. Thus, as the child grows, only the seat portion has to be changed.

The base includes a tensioning device for adjusting the tension of a vehicle retention device used to retain the base to a vehicle seat. Where the vehicle retention device is a LATCH child seat system for vehicles (lower anchors and child belts), the mechanism strains the system belts. Where the vehicle retention device is a seat belt, the mechanism is held against the inside of the seat belt to increase tension in the seat belt. Thus, instead of cinching the seat belt by pulling the end of the belt, as in the prior art, the user mounts the seat belt loosely around the base and then "expands" the base against the seat belt to achieve the desired setting. The more the vehicle retention device is tensioned, the more the base is pushed against the vehicle seat.

In the following embodiments, the base includes two articulated elements and a tensioning device that moves the two elements relative to each other around the hinge. The tensioning device includes a force multiplication device to provide a mechanical advantage so that a small force applied by the user is converted to a substantially larger tension in the vehicle retention device. Although the embodiments described below employ mechanical devices such as screws and levers in the force multiplication device, it will be appreciated that other devices operating according to other principles will also work. Thus, the present invention can be implemented hydraulically or pneumatically, for example.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a base 100 of the present invention. The base 100 includes a generally flat vertical element 105 and a platform 110 including a horizontal segment 115 and a vertical segment 120. The vertical segment 120 of the platform 110 is pivotally connected to the vertical element 105 at a pivot point 125. The vertical element 105 includes an upper portion 130 and a lower portion 135 separated by the pivot point 125. A tensioning device (not shown) is used to drive the vertical element 105 relative to the platform 110 around the pivot point 125. The vertical element 105 is moved in one direction, as shown, to fix the base 100 to a vehicle seat 140, or moves in the opposite direction to remove the base 100.

In Figure 1 it can be seen that the tightening of the base 100 pushes the upper portion 130 of the vertical element 105 against the backrest 145 of the vehicle seat 140, while the lower portion 135 of the vertical element 105 pushes against a seat belt 150 to fix the base 100. In addition, platform 110 exerts pressure on the seat tray 155 of the vehicle seat 140. As can be seen in Figure 1, the tightening of the tensioning device fixes the base 100 by simultaneously wedging the base 100 to the vehicle seat 140 and pressing the base 100 against the seat belt 150. Several tensioning devices are described in more detail below. to tighten the base 100.

Figures 2 and 3 schematically illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a base 200 of the present invention. The base 200 includes a vertical element 210 and a platform 220 including a horizontal segment 230 and a vertical segment 240. The vertical segment 240 of the platform 220 engages the vertical element 210 in a first sliding engagement mechanism 250, and the horizontal segment 230 hooks the vertical element 210 into a second sliding hitch mechanism 260. In the exemplary embodiment, each sliding hitch mechanism 250, 260 includes a pin 270 mounted on the vertical element 210 that is retained so that it moves within a groove 280 defined in the platform 220. It will be appreciated that the pins 270 could be alternatively mount on platform 220 and slots 280 defined in vertical element 210. Similarly, other sliding hitch mechanisms can easily replace the slot pin mechanism illustrated.

As in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, a tensioning device (not shown) is used to drive the

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vertical element 210 relative to the platform 220. By moving it in one direction, the base 200 is fixed to a vehicle seat, or moving it in the opposite direction is removed from the base 200. As indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, the tensioning device push the platform 220 by pressing it against the seat tray and the vertical element 210 to push it against the vehicle seat backrest and the seat belt exactly like the base 100 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a side view of a base 400, which performs the operating principle illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and which is placed in a state similar to the base 200 of Figure 3. The base 400 includes a vertical element 410 and a platform 420 that can be moved relative to each other by a tensioning device 430, described in more detail below. In addition, the base 400 includes a foot 440 pivotally mounted on the vertical element 410 and slidably mounted on the platform 420 so that the foot 440 extends downward when the tensioning device 430 squeezes the base 400 to a vehicle seat. Foot 440 can be wedged in the vehicle seat, sometimes extending between the back and seat cushions, for greater stability and safety.

Although it will be appreciated that the basis of the present invention may be part of an integral child restraint system, the present invention is especially valuable as a modular component of a modular child restraint system, such as that depicted in Figure 5. In the Figure 5, an exemplary modular child restraint system 500 includes a base 510 coupled to a detachable seat portion 520 by a latch mechanism (not shown). The base 400 of Figure 4 illustrates a possible configuration for engaging a releasable seat portion (not shown). In this embodiment, the seat portion engages a locking ring 450 disposed on an upper side of the platform 420. It will be appreciated that Figure 5 also illustrates an integral child restraint system in which the base 510 and the seat portion 520 they are permanently attached, ignoring the need for the hitch mechanism.

Another base that is not according to the invention is shown in Figure 6. A base 600 includes a vertical element 610 and a platform 620 integrally joined to form a single essentially L-shaped element. A tensioning device includes a belt tensioner 630 which it slides on the platform 620 and can be moved back and forth by a drive mechanism 640. A seat belt (not shown) forms a loop through a fastening means, such as a snap 650, on the belt tensioner

630 Since the tension applied to the seat belt is applied in a direction that is neither purely vertical nor horizontal, the resulting force that pushes the base 600 to the vehicle seat has both vertical and horizontal components, as shown.

Figures 7-10 illustrate different exemplary means for engaging a vehicle retention device. In each of the embodiments depicted in Figures 7-9, two clasps, in different arrangements, are used to mount a seat belt on the vertical element of the base. In the embodiment of Figure 10, the vehicle retention device includes two clips permanently mounted 1010 at the ends of respective belts 1020 that fix the vertical element to two LATCH 1030 anchors mounted on the vehicle seat. Other embodiments of the invention employ adjustable clasps, or similar means to fix the vehicle retention device to the base. In some embodiments, instead of the snaps shown in Figures 6-9, the means for engaging a vehicle retention device may simply be a molded recess with a width sufficient to receive a seat belt.

Figure 10 also illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a screw type tensioning device 1040. Although the tensioning device 1040 is shown in conjunction with a base similar to the embodiment of Figure 1, it will be readily apparent that the tensioning device 1040 can be used With other embodiments. In this embodiment a mother spindle 1050 drives a mobile vertical element 1060 through a nut assembly 1070 when a button 1080 is rotated. The mechanism 1040 allows force multiplication, in other words, to use a certain mechanical advantage so that a small force applied by the user is converted to substantially greater tension in the vehicle retention device. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 10, the mother spindle 1050 provides the mechanical advantage so that the relatively low force applied repeatedly by the user to rotate the button 1080 is cumulatively converted to a much larger tension in the belts 1020 of the vehicle retention device. Figure 11 represents a bottom perspective view of another tensioning mechanism of the screw type, similar to that shown in Figure 10, applied to a base such as those shown in Figures 2-4.

Figures 12-15 show additional embodiments of the tensioning device. Figure 12 depicts a cross section of a base including a tensioning device employing an auger. Here, by turning a button 1210, a worm 1220 is turned which engages a worm wheel 1230 to move a vertical element 1240 around a pivot 1250. An advantage of using a worm gear system is that the worm gear trains do not recede and therefore lock automatically.

Figure 13 depicts a cross section of another base including a tensioning device employing a ratchet mechanism. Figures 14 and 15 show other embodiments employing screw type tensioning devices. It will be appreciated that, although it has been provided that the various tension devices described herein are hand operated, in some embodiments an electric motor can be used to drive said

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tensioning devices The same applies to other types of mechanisms, for example, pneumatic systems, which can be pumped by hand, moved by motor, or operated by a source of compressed air.

Figure 16 represents an exploded view of an exemplary torque control button that can be used with any of the tensioning devices described herein. The torque control button limits the amount of force applied by the tensioning device to avoid excessive tension that could potentially damage the vehicle seat, the vehicle retention device, and the basis of the invention. The torque control button in Figure 16 is designed to limit the torque in both directions of rotation, limiting the force applied to the vehicle seat in one direction, and limiting the force applied to the base itself in the other. It will be appreciated that the torque control button of Figure 16 is an example of a mechanical torque limiter, and that other types of torque limiters can also be used. For example, a torque limiter including an electronic deformation sensor configured to detect deformation in the spindle can be set to lock the button or cause the button to disengage from the spindle above a threshold deformation.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a foldable base such that the vertical element can be folded onto the platform. Making the base foldable in this way, the base is easier to carry and store. Figures 17 and 18 show an exemplary base with the vertical element in two different positions, almost completely in the vertical position in Figure 17, and almost completely in the position folded in the figure

18.

Figure 19 represents an exemplary tensioning mechanism that allows the base to be folded as shown in Figures 17 and 18. In Figure 19 a vertical element 1900 is in the fully closed position. The tensioning mechanism of Fig. 19 includes a rearwardly driven mother spindle 1910, a ball nut 1920, and a clutch 1930. The ball nut 1920 allows the base to be folded, and clutch 1930 prevents the base from accidentally folding when it is Installed and in use. The clutch 1930 also allows the vertical element 1900 to be quickly raised to the open position from the closed position without having to turn the mother screw 1900.

In the foregoing specification, the invention is described with reference to its specific embodiments, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited thereto. Several features and aspects of the invention described above can be used individually or together. In addition, the invention can be used in environments and applications additional to those described herein without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings should be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be appreciated that the terms "understanding", "including" and "having" in the sense in which they are used herein are to be specifically understood as open technical terms.