U.S. patent application number 11/063137 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-15 for child seat organizer.
Invention is credited to Tipton, Jennifer Nicole.
Application Number | 20050200169 11/063137 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34922080 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050200169 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tipton, Jennifer Nicole |
September 15, 2005 |
Child seat organizer
Abstract
An apparatus (device), a child seat organizer, is disclosed
comprising: at least one container of suitable size and shape, with
or without at least one top, wherein when placed adjacent to a
child seat in a vehicle, the container may contain in or on the
container at least one item accessible to the child in the child
seat. Additional optional elements include openings, slots,
compartments, trays, hinged lids, drink holders and the like.
Inventors: |
Tipton, Jennifer Nicole;
(Tarpon Springs, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FRANK B. ARENAS
P. O. BOX 600
2327 TAYLOR AVENUE
COLEMAN
FL
33521
US
|
Family ID: |
34922080 |
Appl. No.: |
11/063137 |
Filed: |
February 22, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60552705 |
Mar 12, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/188.01 ;
297/250.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2011/0012 20130101;
B60N 2/28 20130101; B60N 3/101 20130101; B60R 2011/0094 20130101;
B60R 7/04 20130101; B60R 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/188.01 ;
297/250.1 |
International
Class: |
A47C 007/62 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus (device), a child seat organizer, comprising: at
least one container of suitable size and shape, with or without at
least one top, wherein when placed adjacent to a child seat in a
vehicle, the container may contain in or on the container at least
one item accessible to the child in the child seat.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising the container with or
without at least one opening.
3. The device of claim 1 further comprising the container with or
without at least one compartment.
4. The device of claim 1 further comprising the container wherein
said top (with or without at least one tray disposed thereon) is
selected from the group consisting of removable, partially
removable, hinged, partially hinged, closed and partially closed
tops.
5. The device of claim 1 further comprising the container with at
least one opening or at least one compartment with or without at
least one cover (with or without at least one handle disposed
thereon) for the opening(s) or the compartment(s).
6. The device of claim 5 further comprising said cover (with or
without at least one handle disposed thereon) is selected from the
group consisting of removable, partially removable, hinged,
partially hinged, closed and partially closed covers.
7. The device of claim 1 further comprising the container with at
least one seat-belt-loop disposed thereon.
8. The device of claim 1 further comprising the container with at
least one vehicle-seat- protector.
9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of
containers connected by at least one means for connecting the
containers.
10. The device of claim 9 further comprising at least one means for
adjustment integrated into said means for connecting.
11. The device of claim 9 further comprising at least one child
safety seat integrated into said plurality of containers.
12. The device of claim 9 further comprising the plurality of
containers with at least one vehicle-seat-protector.
13. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one child
safety seat integrated into said container.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This Nonprovisional application for patent incorporates by
reference and claims the benefit of pending Provisional Application
having Ser. No. 60/552,705, filed Mar. 12, 2004 for "Child Seat
Organizer," commonly owned with the instant application.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document,
including Appendices, contains material which is subject to
copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the
facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the
patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office
patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights
whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates generally to an apparatus (an article
of manufacture) and method of use. The present invention
particularly relates to child safety seats and accessories used in
conjunction therein. The present invention more particularly
relates to a child seat organizer to prevent spills/staining of the
vehicle seat in which the child seat and organizer are secured,
while keeping necessary and desirable child supplies (a plurality
of accessory items), food, drinks, diapers and the like in close
proximity to the child seat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0004] Vehicular child safety seats ("child seat"), as they are
known in the industry, have evolved over the years to protect
children (usually age 5 and under, but could be older) while riding
in vehicles (cars, trucks, trains, planes, boats or any other type
vehicle in which a child may ride as a passenger). Since most
above-referenced vehicles are designed for adults, the standard
seat belts (safety restraining belts/straps) are likewise designed
for adults and adult-sized torsos and bodies. This creates a danger
when standard seat belts are used to secure and restrain children
in case of a vehicle's sudden stop or crash. Since the child's
torso and body members are smaller/shorter than adults, a real
danger exists that the child will slip out of the seat belt or be
restrained in an unnatural manner, causing injury to the child.
[0005] Accordingly, most (if not all) states in the United States
(and in many other countries) by law require children under a
certain age or smaller than a certain size to be placed in a child
safety seat. This seat is placed on the vehicle seat and adapts to
the smaller torso and body members of children and contains
additional safety belts/straps properly sized to secure the child
into the seat. The child seat is then secured to the vehicle seat
via the normal and customary seat belts/straps used for adults.
Children require attention and food, water, supplies, diapers,
wipes for spills, toys, books, infant bottles, etc. and other
accessories and items while traveling, especially for extended
durations. These items commonly aren't within arm's reach of the
child and the driver must often reach back to retrieve them.
[0006] No prior art is known to this inventor that discloses a
child seat organizer to fulfill this need for an organizer to
conveniently keep child accessories nearby the child, handy and
help prevent spills/damage to the vehicle seat on which the child
seat is placed. This new and useful invention solves the problems
of securely containing child accessories nearby the child seat and
helps prevent spills/damage to the vehicle seat on which the child
seat is placed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of this invention to securely contain child
accessories nearby the child seat and accessible while used in a
vehicle.
[0008] It is another object of this invention to help prevent
spills/damage to the vehicle seat on which the child seat is
placed.
[0009] The objects of this invention are achieved, in several
embodiment, which provides for at least one container adjacent to
the child seat with or without any or all of the following;
openings, slots, compartments, trays, hinged lids, drink holders
and the like for use for the intended purpose. This child seat
organizer is lightweight, compact and of simple construction that
is easy to make and use while reducing the likelihood of
spills/damage to the vehicular seat on which it is placed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a child
seat organizer with optional vehicle seat protector constructed in
accordance with the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment
showing two child seat organizers adjustably connected without the
optional vehicle seat protector.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment
showing two child seat organizers adjustably connected without the
optional vehicle seat protector in use with an optionally removable
child seat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] The apparatus of the invention is conveniently fabricated in
the preferred embodiment by conventional and standard methods of
forming, molding, injecting, heating, pressurizing, releasing and
finishing in the plastic fabrication and injection molding arts
using conventional and standard materials.
[0014] For example, the child seat organizer and incorporated
components may be fabricated from aluminum, steel or other like
metals or any other suitable material (even cardboard or wood) as
will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The
present invention (or components of) may also be fabricated in best
mode from non-metallic materials for lighter weight, reduced cost
and resistance to corrosion. These non-metallic materials include,
among others, conventional polymers such as, for example,
polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyethylene, phenol
formaldehyde resins, polybutylene, Teflon and the like.
[0015] Plastics (any one of a large and varied group of materials
consisting wholly or in part of combinations of carbon with
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other organic and inorganic
elements; while solid in the finished state, at some stage in its
manufacture, it is made liquid, and thus capable of being formed
into various shapes, usually through the application of heat and/or
pressure), such as monomer (one unit--the building block for
polymer molecules) or polymer (many monomer units strung together
to make long molecules) used in polymerization (the process of
combining short molecules to make long molecules) may be used.
[0016] Thermoplastics (plastics that can be repeatedly softened and
hardened by heating and cooling) as well as Thermosets (plastics
that are cross-linked during polymerization and cannot be softened
without degrading some linkages) may also be used.
[0017] Thermoplastic resin types such as crystalline
(thermoplastics containing areas of dense molecular alignments
known as crystallinity), amorphous (thermoplastics with no
crystallinity in the solid state), liquid crystal polymers (LCPs)
(stiff, rod-like structures organized in large paralleled arrays in
both melted and solid states) may also be used.
[0018] All components may be referenced in plural for convenience,
as only at least one of all components are necessary, if desired,
for proper operation and use in other embodiments. Ideally, all
components (or some components) are injection molded from
non-metallic materials (plastic) as previously mentioned above.
Fillers and reinforcements, commonly known in the industry, may
also be used. Fiberglass resins, materials and methods may be used
to make the invention. All specifications, methods, industry
standards, etc. as disclosed by Injection Molding Resources (a
trade organization; Injection Molding Resources, 5732 Milentz Ave.,
St. Louis, Mo. 63109 and their web site
www.injection-molding-resources.org, incorporated by reference) and
disclosed by other well-known-in-the-indus- try injection molding
research and development organizations, commonly known in the
industry, are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0019] Now, a description of and the method of making the invention
will be described in detail. First, a two-plate mold (or
three-plate mold or insulated runner mold or other type appropriate
mold, with or without a living hinge design, all as disclosed and
manufactured by RTP Company, 580 East Front Street, Winona, Minn.
55987 USA, and the company web site www.rtpcompany.com, for
example, incorporated by reference) of the appropriate shape is
configured for the container 1 (and all other components) to be
made by plastic injection molding (as depicted in FIG. 1). As shown
in FIG. 1, in most basic form, the container 1 is cube-shaped (or
nearly cube-shaped or with unequal lengths, widths and heights, as
desired) with an open top. The container 1 may also be round or
have rounded corners. A seat-belt-loop 12 (either rigid, semi-rigid
or supple) may be disposed on the container 1 through which a seat
belt may be threaded to secure the device within the vehicle as
shown in FIG. 4.
[0020] Alternately, it is cube-shaped (or round shaped) with no
top, a closed top (with or without openings 2, as shown in FIG. 2),
a removable top (with or without openings 2, as shown in FIG. 2),
or hinged top (with or without openings 2, as shown in FIG. 2). The
optional opening(s) 2, for instance may be used for a drink holder
(cup holder, baby bottle holder) as shown in FIG. 3. The container
1 may be any shape and also may incorporate side-compartment(s) 3
as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. The optional side-compartments 3 may
also have side-compartment-covers 4 (with or without handles) as
shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
[0021] The container 1 may also have a top 5 as shown in FIG. 1,
FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The top 5 may also have top-compartment(s) 6 as
shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, with or without top-compartment-covers
7 (with or without handles) as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
An optional vehicle-seat-protector 8 may also be used as shown in
FIG. 1. An optional tray 9 may also be integrated into the top 5.
All components are made and assembled in the normal and standard
methods in the child seat and child seat accessories and plastic
injection molding industries and known to one skilled in the
art.
[0022] Lastly, an optional child safety seat 10 (standard in the
industry, many of which are disclosed and sold by BabyUniverse,
Inc., 5601 NW 9 Avenue, Suite 104, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 33309 and
at www.babyuniverse.com, incorporated by reference) may be
integrated with at least one (or two, as shown in FIG. 3) of the
organizers as a complete package to be used as a unit.
[0023] FIG. 1 discloses the best mode of the invention, while FIG.
2 discloses an alternate embodiment of two organizers connected by
a means for connecting (an elongated length-adjustable bar 11
"bar," either rigid, semi-rigid or supple, comprising a plurality
of removably joined sections) with a means for adjusting. As shown
in FIG. 2, the means for adjusting may be a spring-biased locking
knob 13 (with or without a plurality of longitudinally disposed
apertures on the elongated length-adjustable bar 11), belt-buckle
(with or without a plurality of longitudinally disposed apertures
on the elongated length-adjustable bar 11), snap, fastener,
touch-fastener (Velcro), quick-release mechanism or any other means
for adjusting known in the art as of today.
[0024] To install and use the invention in the vehicle, if desired,
the operator places the container 1, with or without any, some or
all of the optional components, on the vehicle seat adjacent to the
child seat location and the operator places, if desired, food,
water, baby bottles, supplies, diapers, baby wipes, wipes for
spills, napkins, drinks, cups, etc. on or in the container 1, or on
or in any, some or all of the optional components. A vehicle seat
belt may be threaded through the seat-belt-loop 12 if desired,
either separately or together with the vehicle seat belts that
secure the child safety seat 10. If two containers are used as
shown in FIG. 3, the bar is appropriately adjusted to accommodate
the child seat.
[0025] If the optional vehicle-seat-protector 8 is used, the
operator first places the container 1, with or without any, some or
all of the optional components, on the vehicle seat and then places
the child seat on the vehicle-seat-protector 8. The container 1 and
child seat 10 are then secured by the operator with the standard
vehicular seat belts in the normal and customary manner or as
recommended by the child seat manufacturer or as recommended by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 400
7.sup.th Street S.W., Washington, D.C., 20590 and disclosed on all
or some of the NHTSA web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/,
incorporated by reference.
[0026] To uninstall and remove the invention from the vehicle, if
desired, the above-referenced installation procedure is
reversed.
[0027] The above-referenced device is not limited to the
enumeration of parts or exact details of construction disclosed
herein, as these are merely examples and not meant to be limiting.
The shape, number and sizes of each container, compartment,
opening, cover and all other components may be varied so as to
accommodate specific items and use thereof. The size, shape and
materials of construction of the various components can be varied
as desired.
[0028] As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, such as a
child seat or child seat accessory designer or fabricator, plastic
injection molding designer or fabricator, various modifications and
adaptations of the structure and method of use above-described will
become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope
of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail by
way of illustration and example, it will be understood that the
present invention is not limited to the particular description and
specific embodiments described but may comprise any combination of
the above elements and variations thereof, many of which will be
obvious to those skilled in the art. Additionally, the acts and
actions of fabricating, assembling, using, and maintaining the
preferred embodiment of this invention is well known by those
skilled in the art. Instead, the invention is limited and defined
solely by the following claims.
[0029] The invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics
thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in
all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the
invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the
foregoing description, and all changes which come within the
meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore
intended to be embraced therein.
* * * * *
References