U.S. patent application number 10/768149 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-04 for travel pack and child safety seat.
Invention is credited to Kau, Kenneth K..
Application Number | 20050168026 10/768149 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34807806 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050168026 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kau, Kenneth K. |
August 4, 2005 |
Travel pack and child safety seat
Abstract
The travel pack and child safety seat includes a child safety
seat arranged to be disposed upon a full size seat in a vehicle
such as a car, plane, or train, and a backpack and shoulder harness
system removably attached to the child safety seat for carrying the
child safety seat on one's back. Cradled, within the child safety
seat, the backpack has a pair of adjustable length shoulder straps
looped through slots in the rear of the child safety seat, allowing
a user to comfortably carry the child safety seat as in a backpack.
An optional and headrest is removably received by the child safety
seat and may be stored in the backpack when transported. A pivoting
thigh portion allows the lower front portion of the child safety
seat to pivot upwards, providing the child safety seat with a
slimmer profile for ease of carrying.
Inventors: |
Kau, Kenneth K.; (Honolulu,
HI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Richard C. Litman
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD.
P.O. Box 15035
Arlington
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
34807806 |
Appl. No.: |
10/768149 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/256.16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 15/00 20130101;
A45F 3/10 20130101; B60N 2/28 20130101; A47D 13/025 20130101; A45F
3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/256.16 |
International
Class: |
A47C 001/08 |
Claims
1. A travel pack and child safety seat, comprising: a child safety
seat having a front, a rear, a top, a seat portion having a front
end and a rear end, a seat back portion at the rear of said child
safety seat extending upwards from said seat portion rear end, a
thigh support portion pivotally connected to said child safety seat
at said seat portion front end, means for securing said child
safety seat to a full size seat of a vehicle; and a storage pack
removably disposed in the front of said child safety seat; wherein
said storage pack has a shoulder harness system attached thereto,
said shoulder harness system cooperatively engaging said child
safety seat.
2. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1,
further comprising a headrest removably attached to the top of said
child safety seat.
3. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1,
wherein said shoulder harness system includes a pair of shoulder
straps, each of said straps having an upper portion, a lower
portion, and an adjustable and releasable attachment device
connecting said upper and lower strap portions.
4. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 3,
wherein said seat back portion has a pair of upper slots and a pair
of lower slots defined therein, the pair of shoulder straps
threaded through said slots.
5. (canceled)
6. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1,
further comprising a child restraint harness.
7. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 6,
wherein said child restraint harness is a five-point child
restraint harness.
8. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1,
wherein said storage pack is constructed of a lightweight pliable
material.
9. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1,
wherein said child safety seat is made of lightweight plastic
material.
10. A travel pack and child safety seat, comprising: a child safety
seat having a front, a rear, a seat back portion, a top, a seat
portion having a front end and a rear end, a child harness, means
for securing said seat to a full size seat of a vehicle, a thigh
support portion pivotally connected to said child safety seat at
said seat portion front end, a plurality of slots disposed in said
seat back portion; and a storage pack having a shoulder harness
system attached thereto, said shoulder harness system cooperatively
engaging said child safety seat; said shoulder harness system
having a pair of shoulder straps, each of said straps having an
upper portion, a lower portion, and an adjustable and releasable
attachment device connecting said upper and lower strap portions;
wherein said shoulder straps may be threaded through the slots
defined in the seat back portion of said child safety seat.
11. (canceled)
12. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10,
further comprising a headrest removably attached to the top of said
child safety seat.
13. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10,
wherein said storage pack is constructed of a lightweight pliable
material.
14. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10,
wherein said child safety seat is made of lightweight plastic
material.
15. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10,
further comprising a child restraint harness.
16. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 15,
wherein said child restraint harness is a five-point child
restraint harness.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to child safety restraint
systems in transportation, an in particular, to a child safety
seat, which can be converted to a backpack for ease of carrying the
child seat when traveling.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The use of child safety seats for the safe restraint of
children and infants in vehicles is well known. Such use of child
safety seats away from the family vehicle requires the transport of
the child safety seat through airports, train stations, bus
terminals and the like. The typical infant or child safety seat is
bulky and of an awkward shape making carrying them even for a short
distance difficult. Various devices have been developed to assist
in the transportation of child safety seats including a variety of
bags, totes, and cases.
[0005] U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0106916, published for
Brian Boone in June 2003, discloses a system of harnesses for
carrying a car seat on a person's back, chest, or side, leaving the
person's hands free. The harnesses are attached to a fabric carrier
body that is provided with an internal semi-rigid back pad which
provides a contoured platform that supports the load of the car
seat, or car seat plus child.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,212, issued to R. Siftar, in April 1956,
discloses an early design of a infant carrying device that is
adaptable as an automobile seat for a child. Introduced at the peak
of the baby boom, the device lacked many of the safety features now
present in most infant car seats.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,526, issued to J. Launes, in May 1988,
discloses a collapsible infant seat and stroller, which includes a
central frame support having straps so that the frame may be
carried as a backpack.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,523, issued to J. Wilheim, in July 1993,
discloses a multifunctional child carrier device including a base
having a detachable seat, the backrest portion detachably connected
to the base and slots formed within both the back-rest and the base
to allow the unit to serve as a child safety seat or as an infant
carrier seat utilizing only the backrest.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,478, issued to M. Noonan, in July 1995,
discloses a convertible baby carrier having a clamshell figuration
in which a first body portion and a second body portion are
pivotally attached to each other, and includes apparatus for
adjusting and fixing the angular relationship of the two body
portions. The carrier includes legs and can be converted to a seat,
a stroller, a bed and a backpack by altering the angular
relationships of the body portions and of legs relative to the body
portions.
[0010] Although designed for infant use, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,570,
issued to K. Zirbel in December 1996, discloses a combination
backpack and seat device which includes a frame separable into a
first member which generally supports the backrest and provides a
back rest for a seated user. The second member forms the seat of
the device and is stored within the pouch of the backpack.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,339, issue4d to Svendsen et al. in
September 1997, discloses a child carrier for use as a two-wheeled
stroller and as a child-supporting backpack having a frame and a
fabric seat coupled to the frame.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,722, issued to Parrow et al. in April
2003, discloses a child safety restraint system for use on
aircrafts. The '722 patent includes a removable, portable strap
assembly for securing automotive child safety seats to aircraft
seats and frames in compliance with federal aviation safety
regulations.
[0013] European Patent Application Publication No. 0257141,
published in March 1988, discloses a child carrier, which is
convertible from use as a stroller to use as a backpack or a car
seat. The apparatus includes a seat portion mounted on a frame
carrying front and rear wheels, and a handle, which is pivotally
connected to the frame so that it is movable between an upwardly
and rearwardly extending position when the carrier is to be used as
a stroller, and a downwardly extending position when used a car
seat.
[0014] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either
singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention
as claimed. Thus a travel pack and child safety seat solving the
aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The travel pack and child safety seat provides an efficient
method of transporting a child safety seat when traveling. Taking
advantage of the empty seating area contained within the child
safety seat, a backpack and shoulder harness system cradled within
the child safety seat is removably attached to the child safety
seat by means of a pair of adjustable length shoulder straps looped
through slots in the rear of the child safety seat, thereby
allowing a user to comfortably carry the child safety seat.
[0016] The backpack and shoulder harness system has a storage
compartment and may be used as a diaper bag or as a general-purpose
backpack. An optional and removable headrest for the child safety
seat may also be carried in the backpack. An optional pivoting
safety seat thigh portion provides the safety seat with a slimmer
profile for ease of carrying.
[0017] It is an object of the invention to provide improved
elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which
is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its
intended purposes.
[0018] These and other objects of the present invention will become
readily apparent upon further review of the following specification
and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel pack and child
safety seat according to the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention
according to FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 3 is an environmental view of a travel pack and child
safety seat according to the present invention being carried on the
back of a user.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the child safety seat
portion of the present invention illustrating the shoulder strap
slots and pivoting thigh support.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the child safety seat
portion of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of the present invention
according to FIG. 1 illustrating the shoulder straps extending
through the rear of the child safety seat.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the child safety seat
portion of the present invention illustrating the headrest and
pivoting thigh support.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the present invention
according to FIG. 1 showing the travel bag positioned within the
child safety seat and the shoulder straps extending there
through.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment
of the present invention showing a one-piece child safety seat.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a side elevation view showing the travel bag in
position for transporting the child safety seat according to the
embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9.
[0029] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] The present invention is a travel pack and child safety
seat, designated generally as 100 in the drawings. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention 100 includes a child safety seat 102
and a travel pack 104. The travel pack is removably attached to the
child safety seat 102, whereby a person, as shown in FIG. 3, can
easily transport the child safety seat 102 on their back by means
of the shoulder straps 106 attached to the travel pack 104 and
which extend through four slots 202 disposed within the back
portion of the child safety seat 102.
[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the travel pack 104 is designed
to fit snug within the child-carrying portion of the child safety
seat 102, wedged between the back of the seat 102 and the flipped
up thigh support portion 114 of seat 102. A pivot rod 116 passing
through the body of the seat 102 and the thigh support portion 114
enables the thigh portion 114 to rotate between two operating
positions: the first position is substantially horizontal, as shown
in FIG. 4, to support a child seated in the child safety seat 102,
and the second position has the thigh support 114 in a vertical
position, as shown in FIG. 3, to enclose the travel pack 104 and
provide the child safety seat 102 with a reduced profile when being
carried.
[0032] The travel pack 104 may be used for carrying child related
material such as diapers, baby food, or may be used as a
general-purpose backpack storage container. Disposed on the front
of the travel pack 104 is an easily accessible smaller storage
compartment 112. The travel pack 102 may be is made of any pliable
material such as plastic, fabric, or any material commonly known in
the art of backpack construction. The main compartment of the
travel pack 102 is accessible by means of a zipper 120 disposed
along the side of the travel pack 102. A handgrip 110 permanently
attached to the top of the travel pack 102 provides the means for
carrying the travel pack 104 with or without the attachable child
safety seat 102.
[0033] As previously disclosed and illustrated in FIGS. 1-2, the
travel pack 104 includes a pair of upper shoulder straps 106, each
strap consisting of a longer upper strap 130 and a shorter lower
strap 132, the two strap portions detachably connected by an
adjustable and releasable attachment device 118. A first end of
each upper strap 130 is preferably sewn or otherwise attached to
the rear top of the travel pack 104. The second end of each upper
strap 130 preferably is threaded through one half 118a of the
adjustable and releasable attachment device 118. The adjustable and
releasable attachment device 118 may be any suitable mechanism that
permits straps to be shortened and lengthened and connected without
slipping or accidental release. Examples of suitable mechanism
include tri glide type buckles, ladderloc type buckles, side
release buckles and hook-and-loop closures, however, the present
invention is not limited to these mechanisms. The other half 118b
of the adjustable and releasable attachment device 118 is attached
to one end of a lower shoulder strap 132 and the second end of the
lower shoulder strap 132 is preferably sewn or otherwise attached
to the rear bottom of the travel pack 104. The straps 106 are
formed of standard nylon webbing commonly used for backpacks and a
pair of cushioned strap covers 108 wrap around at least a portion
of the upper strap portion 130 of the straps 106.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 4, the child safety seat 102 is
removably mounted to a full size seat of a vehicle by means of the
vehicle's lap belt 404, which passes through apertures 122 disposed
in each side of the child safety seat 102. Alternate means for
safely mounting a child safety seat to a vehicle may be
incorporated, however, the design of child safety restraints is
under strict government control. As of September, 1999, all new
forward facing safety seats (not including booster eats) were
required to meet stricter head protection requirements, which
called for a top tether strap attached to the back of a child
safety seat. As a result, one such alternative includes the Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) system designed to make
installation of child safety seats easier by requiring child safety
seats to be installed without using the vehicle's seat belt
system.
[0035] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the thigh support 114 is in its
extended position and reveals the five-point child restraint
harness 406 used to safely support a seated child. The harness 406,
composed of standard strap material known to those in the art, has
two attachment points at the shoulder, two at the hips, and one
between the legs of the child. Disposed in the back portion of the
child safety seat 102 are two sets of apertures 202 through which
the upper and lower portions of shoulder straps 106 are passed
through to the rear of the child safety seat 102 as shown in FIG.
6. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the child safety seat 102 may
include a removable headrest 124 which can be stored in the travel
pack 104 when in transit. The headrest 124 has a pair of support
rods 126 depending from the bottom of the headrest 124 and is
received by a pair of wells 128 disposed within the top of the
child safety seat 102.
[0036] FIG. 7 shows the side view of the child safety seat 102 with
the extended thigh support 114 and the headrest 124 in place. FIG.
8 illustrates the present invention 100 with the thigh support 114
in its transport position along with the travel pack 104 positioned
for carrying the child safety seat 102. The headrest 124 is not
shown in FIG. 8, as it would be stored in the travel pack 104
during transport.
[0037] The pivoting thigh support 114 and removably headrest 124
are optional components, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, an
alternate embodiment 900 of the present invention discloses a
one-piece design without both the pivoting thigh support 114 and
the removable headrest 124 of the previous embodiment.
[0038] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *