U.S. patent application number 11/283808 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-29 for child car seat with adjustable armrest.
This patent application is currently assigned to Wonderland Nurserygoods Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Shun-Min Chen, Jianqun Li.
Application Number | 20070069567 11/283808 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37521102 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070069567 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Shun-Min ; et
al. |
March 29, 2007 |
Child car seat with adjustable armrest
Abstract
A child car seat with an adjustable armrest includes a backrest,
a seat base mounted with the backrest, two armrests mounted with
the seat base, two intermediate pieces engaged with the seat base
respectively at two sides thereof, two controlling pieces slidably
engaged respectively with the two intermediate pieces, and two
elastic pieces 26 respectively mounted between the controlling
piece and intermediate piece. Each controlling piece has a guiding
portion and a wing extending laterally from the guiding portion.
Each armrest has a longitudinal passage and a plurality of lateral
slots. When the wing is received within one of the slots, the
armrest is secured at a predetermined height. When the controlling
piece is pressed to the extent that the wing does not received
within the slots, the armrest can be slid up and down under
guidance of the guiding portion and passage.
Inventors: |
Chen; Shun-Min; (Taipei,
TW) ; Li; Jianqun; (Taipei, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE
FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
Wonderland Nurserygoods Co.,
Ltd.
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
37521102 |
Appl. No.: |
11/283808 |
Filed: |
November 22, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/411.36 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/787 20180201;
B60N 2/77 20180201; B60N 2/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/411.36 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/54 20060101
A47C007/54 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 28, 2005 |
CN |
200520105291.7 |
Claims
1. A seat with an adjustable armrest, the seat comprising: a seat
base having a mounting port; the armrest partially received within
the mounting port, and having a longitudinal passage and a
plurality of lateral slots situated on a side of the passage; and a
controlling piece which is slidably engaged with the seat base and
has an actuating portion, a guiding portion extending away from the
actuating portion and slidably received within the passage, and a
wing laterally extending from the guiding portion; wherein when the
wing is received within one of the slots, the armrest is blocked
from being moved and is held at a predetermined height relative to
the seat base, and when the wing is not received within the slots,
the armrest can be moved relative to the seat base.
2. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the seat further comprises an elastic piece which is
mounted between the controlling piece and the seat base so as to
bias the controlling piece.
3. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 2,
wherein the controlling piece further has a bump connected with the
guiding portion, and a total thickness of the bump and the wing
being bigger than width of one of the slots.
4. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 2,
wherein the controlling piece further has a bump connected with the
wing, and a total thickness of the bump and the wing being bigger
than width of one of the slots.
5. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the seat further comprises a backrest mounted with the seat
base.
6. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the seat further comprises an intermediate piece which is
engaged with the seat base, and the controlling piece is slidably
engaged with the intermediate piece.
7. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 6,
wherein the intermediate piece has a chamber and a channel which is
opened into the chamber, the actuating portion of the controlling
piece is received within the chamber, and the guiding portion is
received within the channel and the passage.
8. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 7,
wherein the seat further comprises an elastic piece which is
mounted between the controlling piece and the intermediate piece so
as to bias the controlling piece.
9. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 8,
wherein the controlling piece further has a bump connected with the
guiding portion, and a total thickness of the bump and the wing
being bigger than width of one of the slots.
10. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 8,
wherein the controlling piece further has a bump connected with the
wing, and a total thickness of the bump and the wing being bigger
than width of one of the slots.
11. The seat with an adjustable armrest as claimed in claim 6,
wherein the seat further comprises a backrest mounted with the seat
base.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a child car seat
with an armrest, and more particularly to a child car seat with an
adjustable armrest.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional child car seat 1 with an
adjustable armrest disclosed in U.S. patent laid open No.
2004/0070244 A1 comprises a conventional seat base 11 and two
conventional armrests 13 mounted with the seat base 11 respectively
at two (lateral) sides of the seat base 11. The conventional seat
base 111 has two cavities 111 respectively at two end of the seat
base 11 and two sets of eyelets 112 formed in different heights on
the wall surface which defines each of the cavities 111. Each
conventional armrest 13 has an elastic flag 131 and two bulges 132
perpendicularly extending away from the elastic flag 131. Each
conventional armrest 13 can be adjusted in height relative to
conventional seat base 11 by making the bulges 132 be received in
different sets of eyelets 112.
[0003] However, the elastic flag 131 described above is typically
made of plastic and integrally molded together with the
conventional armrest 13. Therefore, elastic fatigue may occur in
the elastic flag 131 due to frequent adjustment of the armrest in
height and aging effect. The elastic fatigue will result in the
bulges 132 being unable to be engaged with the seat base 11 in the
eyelets 112 so that the function of adjusting the armrest 13 in
different heights might be lost. Furthermore, in order to
facilitate operation of adjustment, the bulges 132 are typically
formed arc. But, the arc bulges 132 have negative effect of being
unable to be firmly accommodated in the eyelets 112 especially when
the bulges 132 are worn out due to frequent adjustment operation.
This drawback may incur danger for a user when the armrest is
suddenly lowered down while she/he puts her/his arm on the armrest
13. Besides, it is inconvenient for a user to press the bulges 132
with two fingers or with bigger force due to the conventional way
of adjustment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a child car
seat with an adjustable armrest that is substantially intended to
obviate one or more of the problems due to the limitations and
disadvantages encountered in the prior art.
[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a child
car seat with an adjustable armrest where elastic fatigue is
unlikely to occur in the elastic piece thereof so that the function
of adjusting the armrest in different heights can be long
maintained.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
child car seat with an adjustable armrest whose element for
adjustment is unlikely to be worn out so that the armrest can be
firmly secured at desired height.
[0007] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
child car seat with an adjustable armrest where the operation of
adjustment is easy and effortless.
[0008] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the description which follows, and in portion will be
apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention. The objectives and advantages of the invention will be
realized and attained by the structure as particularly set forth in
the written description and claims as well as illustrated in the
appended drawings.
[0009] To achieve these and other advantages and according to the
purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described, a seat with an adjustable armrest, the seat comprising:
a seat base having a mounting port; the armrest partially received
within the mounting port, and having a longitudinal passage and a
plurality of lateral slots situated on a side of the passage; and a
controlling piece which is slidably engaged with the seat base and
has an actuating portion, a guiding portion extending away from the
actuating portion and slidably received within the passage, and a
wing laterally extending from the guiding portion; wherein when the
wing is received within one of the slots, the armrest is blocked
from being moved and is held at a predetermined height relative to
the seat base, and when the wing is not received within the slots,
the armrest can be moved relative to the seat base.
[0010] In a preferred aspect, the seat further comprises an elastic
piece which is mounted between the controlling piece and the seat
base so as to bias the controlling piece.
[0011] Moreover, the controlling piece further has a bump connected
with the guiding portion, and a total thickness of the bump and the
wing being bigger than width of one of the slots.
[0012] It is another preferred feature that the controlling piece
further has a bump connected with the wing, and a total thickness
of the bump and the wing being bigger than width of one of the
slots.
[0013] Additionally, the seat further comprises a backrest mounted
with the seat base.
[0014] Furthermore, the seat further comprises an intermediate
piece which is engaged with the seat base, and the controlling
piece is slidably engaged with the intermediate piece.
[0015] It is preferred that the intermediate piece has a chamber
and a channel which is opened into the chamber, the actuating
portion of the controlling piece is received within the chamber,
and the guiding portion is received within the channel and the
passage.
[0016] It is preferred that the seat further comprises an elastic
piece which is mounted between the controlling piece and the
intermediate piece so as to bias the controlling piece.
[0017] It is preferred that the controlling piece further has a
bump connected with the guiding portion, and a total thickness of
the bump and the wing being bigger than width of one of the slots.
It is preferred that the controlling piece further has a bump
connected with the wing, and a total thickness of the bump and the
wing being bigger than width of one of the slots.
[0018] It is preferred that the seat further comprises a backrest
mounted with the seat base.
[0019] It is to be understood that both the forgoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory and are intended to provide a further non-limiting
explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a portion of the specification, illustrate embodiments
of the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention. In the drawings:
[0021] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view which illustrates a
part of a conventional child car seat with an adjustable
armrest;
[0022] FIG. 2 is an assembled side view illustrating a child car
seat with an adjustable armrest according to the present invention
which shows that the armrest is adjusted to a higher position;
[0023] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a child
car seat with an adjustable armrest according to the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view illustrating that a
controlling piece is mounted with the armrest according to the
present invention and that a snick of the controlling piece is
aligned with a passage of the armrest so that the armrest can be
adjusted up and down;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a partially sectional assembled view illustrating
a child car seat with an adjustable armrest according to the
present invention which shows that wings of the controlling piece
is received in a slot of the armrest so that the armrest is held at
desired height; and
[0026] FIG. 6 is an assembled side view illustrating a child car
seat with an adjustable armrest according to the present invention
which shows that the armrest is adjusted to a lower position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a child car seat 2 with an
adjustable armrest 23 according to the present invention comprises
a backrest 21, a seat base 22 coupled or pivotally connected with
the backrest 21, two armrests 23 (shown only one) respectively
mounted with the seat base 22 at two sides thereof, two elliptic
intermediate piece 24 (shown only one), two button-typed
controlling piece 25 (shown only one), and two elastic piece 26
(shown only one).
[0028] The seat base 22 on each of two opposite sides thereof has
an mounting port 223 formed on the top surface of the seat base 22,
an elliptic opening 221 formed on the wall which defines the
mounting port 223, four notches 222 respectively formed at two
opposite ends of long axes and short axes of the elliptic opening
221.
[0029] The intermediate piece 24 includes an elliptic flange 241, a
stepped wall 242 perpendicularly extending from the flange 241 and
formed with a step at each end of the long axis of the elliptic
flange 241, two chasm 247 respectively formed at two ends of the
wall 242, a bottom 243 perpendicularly extending from the wall 242,
a chamber 244 defined by both the wall 242 and bottom 243, a
cross-shaped channel 245 (shown in FIG. 5) formed substantially at
the center of the bottom 243, and four second elastic latches 246
respectively extending away from two ends of long and short axes of
the flange 241.
[0030] The controlling piece 25 includes an elliptic actuating
portion 251, a guiding portion 252 extending away from the center
of actuating portion 251, four wings 253 respectively extending
away from the central line of two sides of the guiding portion 252
and parallel to a long axis of the elliptic actuating portion 251,
two snicks 254 respectively situated between two wings 53 at each
side of the guiding portion 252, two bumps 255 respectively
extending away from two sides of the free end of guiding portion
252 and being connected with the wings 253, two first elastic
latches 256 respectively extending away from two ends of the long
axis of the actuating portion 251 and parallel to the guiding
portion 252.
[0031] The armrest 23 has a longitudinal passage 231 formed at
lower half section thereof and a plurality of tranverse slots 232,
for example four in this embodiment, formed on two sides of the
passage 231 in different heights.
Assembling
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the guiding portion 252 and
the wings 253 of the controlling piece 25 are first inserted into
the elastic piece 26. Then, the free end of the guiding portion 252
is passed through the channel 245 situated on the bottom 243 of the
intermediate piece 24 to the extent that the first latches 256 are
engaged with the intermediate piece 24 at the chasm 247. In this
state, the elastic piece 26, actuating portion 251 of controlling
piece 25, and partial guiding portion 252 of the controlling piece
25 are all accommodated in the chamber 244 of the intermediate
piece 24. In addition, the elastic piece 16 is situated between the
actuating portion 251 and the bottom 243.
[0033] Next, the subassembly described above is mounted into the
opening 221 of the seat base 22. In the meanwhile, the second
latches 246 of the intermediate piece 24 are passed through the
notches 222 of the seat base 22 to allow the second latches 246
being engaged inside the wall of the seat base 22 and the flange
241 of the intermediate piece 24 is abutted with the seat base 22.
However, the notches 222 is formed only to facilitate the second
latches 246 being mounted into the opening 221 so that the notches
222 can be omitted in another embodiment because the second latches
246 are elastic. In this another embodiment, when the subassembly
described above is mounted into the opening 221, the second latches
246 will be elastically deformed firstly at the time that they are
biased by the wall of the seat base 22 and then snap back after
being passed through the wall of the seat base 22 so as to be
engaged inside the wall of the seat base 22.
[0034] Subsequently, the actuating portion 251 of the controlling
piece 25 is pressed by one hand and simultaneously the lower half
section of the armrest 23 is inserted into the mounting port 223 of
the seat base 22 by another hand to make the part of the guiding
portion 252 corresponding to the snick 254 be received in the
passage 231 of the armrest 23, as shown in FIG. 4. When the armrest
23 is further slid downwards to the extent that the wings 253 of
the controlling piece 25 are aligned with one of the slots 232 in
the armrest 23, such as the lower slot 232 in FIG. 3, and if the
controlling piece 25 is no longer pressed by a user, then the
controlling piece 25 will be recovered by restoration force
resulted from the elastic piece 26. This motion of controlling
piece 25 will make the wings 253 be received in or engaged with the
slot 232, as shown in FIG. 5, and thus block the armrest 23 from
being adjusted in height, as shown in FIG. 2.
Adjustment
[0035] When the actuating portion 251 of the controlling piece 25
is pressed by one hand to the extent that the part of the guiding
portion 252 corresponding to the snick 254 is again aligned with
the passage 231 of the armrest 23, as shown in FIG. 4, the armrest
23 can be slid up and down or adjusted in height, such as
downwards, by another hand. When the actuating portion 251 of the
controlling piece 25 is no longer pressed, and if the wings 253 are
not received within one of slots 232 yet, then the armrest 23 still
can be slid up and down along the passage 231 by guidance of the
guiding portion 252. Till one of the slots 232 in the armrest 23 is
aligned with the wings 253 of the controlling piece 25, because the
controlling piece 25 is biased outwards by restoration force of the
elastic piece 26, the wings 253 are again received within the slot
232 and thus the armrest 23 is kept at a predetermined height
relative to the seat base 22, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Besides,
because the total thickness of the bump 255 and the wing 253 is
larger than the total width of the slot 232, the controlling piece
25 will not entirely be separated from the armrest 23 through the
slot 232 when the controlling piece 25 is biased outwards by the
elastic piece 26. In an alternative embodiment, the bump 255
laterally extends from the guiding portion 252 but does not contact
with the wing 253, or extends upwards/downwards from the wing 253
but does not contact with the guiding portion 252. In conclusion,
it is necessary for the bump 255 to be abutted against the shell of
the armrest 23 so as to prevent the controlling piece 25 from being
entirely separated from the armrest 23.
[0036] In above description about the preferred embodiment, the
child car seat 2 with an adjustable armrest 23 simultaneously
comprises the controlling piece 25 and intermediate piece 24 which
is separately made with the seat base 22. However, in another
preferred embodiment, the related structures of the intermediate
piece 24 can be integrally molded into the seat base 22, that is,
the independent intermediate piece 24 is omitted and thus the
controlling piece 25 and the elastic piece 26 are mounted with the
seat base 22. In addition, the backrest 21 may be mounted with the
seat base 22 only when it is necessary.
[0037] It is noted that only two of wings 253 which are situated at
free end of the guiding portion 252 are used for being received
within the slot 232 of the armrest 23 so as to secure the armrest
23 at predetermined height. As far as the other two wings 253 near
the actuating portion 251 are just used to reinforce the guiding
portion 252 in order to prevent the guiding portion 252 from being
broken. In an alternative embodiment, the controlling piece 25 may
only have one or two of wings 253 which are situated at free end of
the guiding portion 252 and without the other two wings 253 near
the actuating portion 251.
[0038] This invention has been disclosed in terms of specific
embodiments. It will be apparent that many modifications can be
made to the disclosed structures without departing from the
invention. Therefore, it is the intent of the appended claims to
cover all such variations and modifications as come within the
breadth and scope of this invention.
* * * * *