U.S. patent application number 09/729612 was filed with the patent office on 2001-05-03 for vehicular child safety seat.
Invention is credited to Inoue, Keiji, Kassai, Kenzou.
Application Number | 20010000638 09/729612 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25682269 |
Filed Date | 2001-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010000638 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kassai, Kenzou ; et
al. |
May 3, 2001 |
Vehicular child safety seat
Abstract
A vehicular child safety seat comprises a waist belt engaging
portion for deciding the vertical position of a waist belt provided
on a movable member displaceable with respect to a base portion and
locking means for restricting displacement of the movable member
with respect to the base portion. The movable member is rendered
rotatable about an axis X--X. A user can adjust the vertical
position of the waist belt by rotating the movable member. The user
can further fix the vertical position by changing the direction of
a switch portion.
Inventors: |
Kassai, Kenzou; (Osaka,
JP) ; Inoue, Keiji; (Osaka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FASSE PATENT ATTORNEYS, P.A.
P.O. BOX 726
HAMPDEN
ME
04444-0726
US
|
Family ID: |
25682269 |
Appl. No.: |
09/729612 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/250.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/2806 20130101;
B60N 2/2812 20130101; B60N 2/2872 20130101; B60N 2/286 20130101;
B60N 2/2866 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/250.1 |
International
Class: |
B60N 002/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 8, 1999 |
JP |
11-194342(P) |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicular child safety seat fixed to a seat of a car with a
waist belt provided on said car for holding a juvenile, comprising:
a base portion supporting said juvenile from below; a waist belt
engaging portion located on a side of said base portion to be
displaceable along the vertical direction with respect to said base
portion; and locking means fixing the vertical position of said
waist belt engaging portion.
2. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein
said waist belt engaging portion is provided on a movable member
provided to be displaceable with respect to said base portion, and
said locking means fixes said movable member with respect to said
base portion.
3. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein an
engaging portion for engaging said base portion and said movable
member with each other is provided on at least one of said base
portion and said movable member stepwise along the vertical
direction.
4. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 3, wherein a
projection provided on one of said base portion and said movable
member can be engaged with a receiving portion provided on the
other one of said base portion and said movable member in said
engaging portion.
5. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 4, wherein
said base portion includes a toothed groove connecting a plurality
of said receiving portions with each other through a groove on a
side surface, said movable member includes said projection, and
said projection is displaceable along the vertical direction and
the horizontal direction with respect to said toothed groove.
6. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein
said movable member is coupled to said base portion through an axis
to be rotatable.
7. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 5, wherein
said locking means includes: a rotatable switch portion coupled to
said base portion, and a switch engaging portion provided on said
movable member and engageable with said switch portion, and when
said projection disengages from said receiving portion due to
horizontal displacement of said movable member, said switch
engaging portion engages with said switch portion for restricting
relative rotational motion of said switch portion and said movable
member for rendering said movable member rotatable about the center
of rotation of said switch portion.
8. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 7, wherein
horizontal displacement of said movable member can be restricted by
changing the direction of said switch portion in a state not
engaged with said switch engaging portion.
9. The vehicular child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein
said movable member is a plate-type member having a notch portion,
and said waist belt engaging portion is provided inside said notch
portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. 1. Field of the Invention
2. The present invention relates to a vehicular child safety seat
placed on a seat of a car and fixed to the seat of the car with a
waist belt included in a seat belt provided on the seat for holding
a juvenile.
3. 2. Description of the Prior Art
4. Following the recently increasing requirement for improvement in
safety of automobiles, a vehicular child safety seat has been
developed as an apparatus for attaining safety for a neonate, an
infant, a child or a schoolchild (generically referred to as a
juvenile) riding in a car.
5. FIG. 8 shows an example of a conventional vehicular child safety
seat 1. The vehicular child safety seat 1 is employed for providing
a high seat surface for a juvenile having a short trunk fastening a
seat belt including a shoulder belt so that the shoulder belt does
not hang on the face of the juvenile, and generally put on the
market in the name of "booster". This type of vehicular child
safety seat 1 is fixed to a seat (hereinafter referred to as "car
seat") of a car with a waist belt included in the seat belt
provided on the car.
6. The vehicular child safety seat 1 includes a seat surface 11 and
side walls 12. Each side wall 12 has a waist belt engaging portion
13 and a shoulder belt engaging portion 14.
7. FIG. 9 shows the vehicular child safety seat 1 in use. The
vehicular child safety seat 1 is placed on a car seat 2 for
supporting a juvenile 3 from below with the seat surface 11. A
waist belt 5 partially forming a seat belt provided on the car is
extended over the vehicular child safety seat 1. The waist belt 5
is introduced into a notch of one of the side walls 12 through
slits 15 and engaged with the waist belt engaging portion 13. A
tongue plate 6 provided on the forward end of the waist belt 5 is
connected with a buckle 7 for completely fastening the seat belt
and simultaneously fixing the vehicular child safety seat 1 and the
juvenile 3 to the car seat 2.
8. The shoulder belt 4 extending over the juvenile 3 obliquely from
above is passed through one of the slits 15 and engaged with the
shoulder belt engaging portion 14 provided on the side wall 12. The
seat surface 11 of the vehicular child safety seat 1 is positioned
higher than the seat surface of the car seat 2, and hence the
shoulder belt 4 can be correctly extended over the shoulders of the
juvenile 3 without hanging on the face of the juvenile 3 having a
short trunk.
9. The size of the body of the juvenile 3 using the vehicular child
safety seat 1 depends on the individual variation or the age of the
juvenile 3. In the conventional vehicular child safety seat 1,
however, the vertical position for extending the waist belt 5 is
set constant in response to that of the waist belt engaging portion
13. The vertical position of the waist belt engaging portion 13
partially forming the fixed side wall 12 cannot be changed. When
the juvenile 3 is of large build, therefore, the waist belt 5 may
disadvantageously press the abdominal region.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
10. The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the
aforementioned problem, and an object thereof is to provide a
vehicular child safety seat capable of changing the vertical
position for extending a waist belt in response to the size of the
body of a juvenile using the vehicular child safety seat.
11. In order to attain the aforementioned object, a vehicular child
safety seat according to an aspect of the present invention, fixed
to a seat of a car with a waist belt provided on the car for
holding a juvenile, comprises a base portion supporting the
juvenile from below, a waist belt engaging portion located on a
side of the base portion to be displaceable along the vertical
direction with respect to the base portion and a locking means
fixing the vertical position of the waist belt engaging
portion.
12. The waist belt engaging portion can be displaced and the
vertical position thereof can be fixed by the locking means due to
employment of the aforementioned structure, whereby the vertical
position of the waist belt can be adjusted in response to the
figure of the juvenile.
13. According to the present invention, the aforementioned waist
belt engaging portion is preferably provided on a movable member
provided to be displaceable with respect to the aforementioned base
portion, and the aforementioned locking means fixes the
aforementioned movable member with respect to the aforementioned
base portion.
14. The vertical position of the waist belt engaging portion can be
adjusted by displacing the movable member due to employment of the
aforementioned structure, whereby the vehicular child safety seat
is easy to handle.
15. According to the present invention, an engaging portion for
engaging the aforementioned base portion and the aforementioned
movable member with each other is preferably provided on at least
one of the base portion and the aforementioned movable member
stepwise along the vertical direction.
16. The vertical position of the movable member can be changed
stepwise due to employment of the aforementioned structure, so that
the vertical position of the waist belt engaging portion can also
be changed stepwise.
17. According to the present invention, a projection provided on
one of the aforementioned base portion and the aforementioned
movable member can preferably be engaged with a receiving portion
provided on the other one of the aforementioned base portion and
the aforementioned movable member in the aforementioned engaging
portion.
18. The projection may simply be engaged with the receiving portion
for deciding the vertical position of the waist belt engaging
portion due to employment of the aforementioned structure, whereby
engagement is simplified.
19. According to the present invention, the aforementioned base
portion preferably includes a toothed groove connecting a plurality
of the aforementioned receiving portions with each other through a
groove on a side surface, the aforementioned movable member
includes the aforementioned projection, and the aforementioned
projection is displaceable along the vertical direction and the
horizontal direction with respect to the aforementioned toothed
groove.
20. The vertical position of the waist belt engaging portion can be
adjusted by moving the projection in the toothed groove due to
employment of the aforementioned structure, whereby the vehicular
child safety seat is easy to handle.
21. According to the present invention, the aforementioned movable
member is preferably coupled to the aforementioned base portion
through an axis to be rotatable.
22. The vertical position of the waist belt can be adjusted by
rotating the movable member due to employment of the aforementioned
structure, whereby the operation is simplified for readily
adjusting the vertical position of the waist belt.
23. According to the present invention, the aforementioned locking
means preferably includes a rotatable switch portion coupled to the
aforementioned base portion and a switch engaging portion provided
on the aforementioned movable member and engageable with the switch
portion, and when the aforementioned projection disengages from the
aforementioned receiving portion due to horizontal displacement of
the aforementioned movable member, the aforementioned switch
engaging portion simultaneously engages with the aforementioned
switch portion for restricting relative rotational motion of the
aforementioned switch portion the aforementioned movable member for
rendering the aforementioned movable member rotatable about the
center of rotation of the aforementioned switch portion.
24. When the projection disengages from the receiving portion, the
movable member is rotatable integrally with the switch portion due
to employment of the aforementioned structure. When the projection
engages with the receiving portion, the movable member not engaging
with the switch portion is not rotatable but reliably fixed.
25. According to the present invention, horizontal displacement of
the aforementioned movable member can preferably be restricted by
changing the direction of the aforementioned switch portion in a
state not engaged with the aforementioned switch engaging
portion.
26. Displacement of the movable member is restricted not only in
the rotational direction but also in the horizontal direction by
changing the direction of the switch portion due to employment of
the aforementioned structure, whereby reliable fixation can be
attained. Thus, the vehicular child safety seat is safer for the
juvenile using the same.
27. According to the present invention, the aforementioned movable
member is preferably a plate-type member having a notch portion,
and the aforementioned waist belt engaging portion is preferably
provided inside the aforementioned notch portion.
28. The waist belt can be reliably engaged with the waist belt
engaging portion due to employment of the aforementioned
structure.
29. The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and
advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from
the following detailed description of the present invention when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
30. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicular child safety seat
according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
31. FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vehicular child safety
seat according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
32. FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the vehicular child
safety seat according to the first embodiment of the present
invention attached to a car seat;
33. FIG. 4 is a first explanatory diagram for a method of adjusting
the vertical position of a waist belt in relation to the vehicular
child safety seat according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
34. FIG. 5 is a second explanatory diagram for the method of
adjusting the vertical position of the waist belt in relation to
the vehicular child safety seat according to the first embodiment
of the present invention;
35. FIG. 6 is a third explanatory diagram for the method of
adjusting the vertical position of the waist belt in relation to
the vehicular child safety seat according to the first embodiment
of the present invention;
36. FIG. 7 is a fourth explanatory diagram for the method of
adjusting the vertical position of the waist belt in relation to
the vehicular child safety seat according to the first embodiment
of the present invention;
37. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a vehicular child safety seat
according to prior art; and
38. FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the vehicular child
safety seat according to the prior art attached to a car seat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
39. (First Embodiment)
40. FIG. 1 shows the structure of a vehicular child safety seat 1
according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The
vehicular child safety seat 1 comprises a base portion 24 and
movable members 25. The base portion 24 includes a seat surface 11
and base side surfaces 26. Each movable member 25, having a waist
belt engaging portion 13 and a shoulder belt engaging portion 14 in
common with the conventional side wall 12, is mounted on each base
side surface 26 and rotatable about an axis X--X of rotation
passing through the center of a switch portion 16 dissimilarly to
the conventional side wall 12. While FIG. 1 illustrates the movable
member 25 positioned on the right side of a seated juvenile 3 (see
FIG. 3) (hereinafter "right" and "left" stand for the right and
left sides of the seated juvenile 3, unless otherwise stated) in
detail, the vehicular child safety seat 1 according to this
embodiment is horizontally symmetrical and the left movable member
25 is similarly rotatable. The movable members 25 provided on both
sides are rotatable independently of each other. Referring to FIG.
1, the left movable member 25 is lowered while the right movable
member 25 is raised.
41. FIG. 2 illustrates a portion around the left movable member 25
as viewed from the left side surface. The movable member 25
includes a rotatable switch portion 16 and a switch portion ring 23
enclosing the same. The switch portion ring 23 is provided on its
inner periphery with a concave switch engaging portion 21 having a
shape engageable with the switch portion 16. As hereinabove
described, the movable member 25 is rotatable about the center of
rotation of the switch portion 16. The movable member 25 has a
projection 17 on its rear surface. In the state shown in FIG. 2,
the projection 17 engages with a concave portion 18 of a toothed
groove 20 provided on the base side surface 26 thereby fixing the
overall movable member 25 not to rotate. A method of adjusting the
vertical position of a waist belt is described later.
42. A method of attaching the vehicular child safety seat 1
according to this embodiment to a seat of a car is now
described.
43. FIG. 3 illustrates the vehicular child safety seat 1 attached
to a car seat 2. The point that the vehicular child safety seat 1
is placed on the car seat 2 for supporting the seat surface 11 the
juvenile 3 from below with the seat surface 11 and a method of
extending a seat belt are in common with the conventional vehicular
child safety seat 1 shown in FIG. 9.
44. The inventive vehicular child safety seat 1 is different from
the conventional vehicular child safety seat 1 in a point that the
vertical position of a waist belt 5 can be changed by displacing
the movable member 25 in the vertical direction.
45. The method of adjusting the vertical position of the waist belt
5 is now described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. For convenience
of illustration, FIGS. 4 to 7 show only the switch portion 16, the
switch portion ring 23 and the projection 17 as to the movable
member 25 and only the toothed groove 20 as to the base portion 24.
The toothed groove 20 consists of receiving portions 18 and an
arcuate groove 19. The switch portion ring 23 and the projection 17
are fixed to the movable member 25 respectively.
46. FIG. 4 shows an unlocked state. In this state, the switch
portion 16 engaging with the switch engaging portion 21 and the
switch portion ring 23 are integrally rotatable about the axis X--X
(perpendicular to the plane of the figure and hence not
illustrated) of rotation passing through the center of the switch
portion 16. Rotation of the switch portion 16 and the switch
portion ring 23 means rotation of the movable member 25.
47. FIG. 5 shows a state upon upward movement of the movable member
25. The projection 17 fixed to the movable member 25 moves on the
arc following rotation of the movable member 25. The toothed groove
20 has a plurality of receiving portions 18 arranged stepwise along
the groove 19. The movable member 25 is rotated until the
projection 17 reaches a position corresponding to one of the
projections 17 capable of implementing a desired vertical position
of the waist belt 5.
48. FIG. 6 shows a state upon decision of the vertical position of
the movable member 25. The movable member 25 is moved forward,
i.e., leftward in FIG. 6, thereby engaging the projection 17 in the
receiving portion 18 while simultaneously disengaging the switch
portion 16 from the switch engaging portion 21. In this state,
movement of the movable member 25 is restricted in the vertical
direction but not completely restricted in the horizontal
direction.
49. FIG. 7 shows a state of fixing the position of the movable
member 25 by changing the direction of the switch portion 16.
Movement of the movable member 25 is restricted not only in the
vertical direction but also in the horizontal direction due to
provision of locking means fixing the same, so that the projection
17 can be kept engaged in the receiving portion 18.
50. In order to further change the vertical position of the waist
belt 5, operations reverse to the above may be performed. The
switch portion 16 may be rotated to be parallel to the switch
engaging portion 21 for moving the movable member 25 backward
(rightward in the figures) thereby disengaging the projection 17
from the receiving portion 18, thereafter rotating the movable
member 25 for guiding the projection 17 to another receiving
portion 18 similarly to the above and fixing the movable member 25
with the locking means.
51. As hereinabove described, the waist belt engaging portion 13 is
provided on the movable member 25 provided on each side of the
vehicular child safety seat 1 and the movable member 25 is coupled
to the base portion 24 through an axis to be rotatable, whereby the
vertical position of the waist belt engaging portion 13 can be
changed by displacing the movable member 25. Therefore, the
vertical position of the waist belt 5 can be changed. Consequently,
it is possible to eliminate pressure on the abdominal part of the
juvenile 3 whose figure is unfitted to the waist belt 5.
52. When changing the vertical position of the waist belt engaging
portion 13 by rotating the movable member 25, the vertical position
of the waist belt 5 can be changed stepwise through the receiving
portions 18 provided stepwise, whereby the vertical position can be
readily and reliably adjusted.
53. After rotating the movable member 25 for changing the vertical
position of the waist belt 5, the result can be fixed with the
locking means as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, whereby safety can be
attained.
54. The locking means, capable of restricting movement of the
movable member 25 only by changing the direction of the switch
portion 16, is easy to handle. Besides, the position of the movable
member 25 remains unchanged against small impact or the like unless
the direction of the switch portion 16 is changed again as shown in
FIG. 6.
55. The locking means is not restricted to the aforementioned
method but movement of the movable member 25 may alternatively be
restricted by another means.
56. While the movable member 25 is displaced through rotation about
the axis X--X in the aforementioned embodiment, the movable member
25 may alternatively be displaced through sliding.
57. While the receiving portions 18 are connected with each other
through the groove 19 to form the toothed groove 20 in the
aforementioned embodiment, the receiving portions 18 may
alternatively be provided in another mode. For example, the
receiving portions 18 may be formed by independent holes arranged
on the base side surface 26 at prescribed intervals.
58. While the aforementioned embodiment employs engaging means
formed by combining the projection 17 and the receiving portions 18
in the portion for engaging the movable member 25 with the base
portion 24, another engaging means may alternatively be
employed.
59. While the receiving potions 18 for deciding the position of the
movable member 25 are provided stepwise in the aforementioned
embodiment, a similar effect can be attained also when providing
the receiving portions 18 stepless, except that the vertical
position of the waist belt 5 is adjusted in a stepless manner in
this case.
60. In the aforementioned embodiment, the combination of the
projection 17 provided on the movable member 25 and the toothed
groove 20 provided on the base side surface 26 is merely
illustrative and may be reversely provided.
61. While the waist belt engaging portion 13 is provided on the
movable member 25 in the aforementioned embodiment, the present
invention is not necessarily restricted to this but the position of
the waist belt engaging portion 13 may be set by another
element.
62. According to the vehicular child safety seat of the present
invention, the vertical position of the waist belt engaging portion
can be readily changed by rotating the movable member about the
axis. Further, the position of the movable member can be fixed by
engaging the projection with the receiving portion located on a
desired position and restricting the same with the locking means.
Therefore, the vertical position of the waist belt can be adjusted
in response to the figure of the juvenile, for eliminating pressure
on the abdominal part of the juvenile generally applied by the
waist belt.
63. Although the present invention has been described and
illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by
way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way
of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being
limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
* * * * *