U.S. patent application number 11/994348 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-24 for article holder.
This patent application is currently assigned to BRITAX EXCELSIOR LIMITED. Invention is credited to Vincent Freeman, James Gareth, Iain Powell.
Application Number | 20090236881 11/994348 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37005857 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090236881 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Freeman; Vincent ; et
al. |
September 24, 2009 |
Article Holder
Abstract
The present invention concerns an article holder for a child
seat, the holder comprising a holder portion (6) for holding one or
more articles, and a mounting (7) in relation to which said holder
portion is movably mounted. The holder portion and said mounting
are configured for relative sliding movement there-between along an
arcuate path.
Inventors: |
Freeman; Vincent;
(Hampshire, GB) ; Powell; Iain; (Hampshire,
GB) ; Gareth; James; (Bournemouth, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ADAMS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW, P.A.
Suite 2350 Charlotte Plaza, 201 South College Street
CHARLOTTE
NC
28244
US
|
Assignee: |
BRITAX EXCELSIOR LIMITED
Hampshire
UK
|
Family ID: |
37005857 |
Appl. No.: |
11/994348 |
Filed: |
June 30, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
June 30, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2006/002427 |
371 Date: |
September 18, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/188.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 3/102 20130101;
B60N 2/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/188.21 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/62 20060101
A47C007/62; A47D 15/00 20060101 A47D015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 1, 2005 |
GB |
0513459.8 |
Jul 2, 2005 |
GB |
0513649.4 |
Jul 5, 2005 |
GB |
0513733.6 |
Dec 15, 2005 |
GB |
0525534.4 |
Claims
1. An article holder for a child seat, the holder comprising: a
holder portion for holding one or more articles, said holder
portion having an arcuate running surface; a mounting in relation
to which said holder portion is movably mounted; wherein said
arcuate running surface of the holder portion co-operates with said
mounting to facilitate a relative sliding movement there-between,
said relative sliding movement describing an arc.
2. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder
portion slides on the mounting.
3. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein one of the
holder portion and mounting has an arcuate guide track for
receiving guide formations provided to the other of the holder
portion and mounting.
4. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein the article
holder has deployed and stowed positions, wherein in use, in moving
from the stowed to the deployed position the holder portion moves
upwards and outwards along said arc.
5. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein the mounting
comprises a shell for mounting within a recess provided to a child
seat.
6. An article holder according to claim 5, wherein the shell and
holder portion each have a wedge shaped configuration.
7. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein in a stowed
position, the holder is fully received in the mounting.
8. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder
portion and mounting have co-operating detent formations for
assisting in holding the holder in its deployed position.
9. An article holder according to claim 1, wherein the article
holder is provided in a seat base.
10. An article holder according to claim 1 wherein the holder
portion has one or more guide formations for engagement with one or
more complementary formations on said mounting for slidably guiding
the holder portion between deployed and stowed positions.
11. A child seat incorporating an article holder according to
claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to article holder and in
particular to such a holder when provided within a child safety
seat.
[0002] In this respect, child safety seats are well known for
assisting in securing a child within the interior of a vehicle.
Such seats take many forms but in general involve a seat base which
rests on the vehicle seat base, and a seat back which, in the case
of forwardly facing child seats, rests against the vehicle seat
back.
[0003] Known child seats have incorporated arrangements for holding
articles such as cups. One such seat is disclosed in
US2005/0082888, which shows an object holder which is pivotally
mounted to move between retracted and extended positions. In the
retracted position the holder is stowed within the seat base, the
holder pivoting transversely to the side of the seat base when
needed.
[0004] This known arrangement however suffers problems in that with
modern vehicle seat interiors, the vehicle seat cushions have
contoured profiles, often with the side edges of the seat base and
seat back being raised to support and envelope the occupant. Such
contoured profiles can cause problems in relation to the correct
mounting and fixing of child seats, but also more specifically in
the present context in relation to operation of such article
holders. In this connection, the path of holders such as disclosed
in US2005/0082888 can be impeded by such raised side edges,
impairing their use.
[0005] The present invention seeks to resolve such problems of
known arrangements.
[0006] According to a first aspect there is provided an article
holder for a child seat, the holder comprising:--
[0007] a holder portion for holding one or more articles;
[0008] a mounting in relation to which said holder portion is
movably mounted;
[0009] wherein the holder portion and said mounting are configured
for relative sliding movement there between along an arcuate path.
Such an arrangement provides for an effective means of actuating
the article holder.
[0010] Conveniently, the holder portion slides on the mounting. As
such, the holder portion can move across the mounting for
deployment of the article holder.
[0011] Preferably, one of the holder portion and mounting has an
arcuate guide track for receiving guide formations provided to the
other of the holder portion and mounting. The guide track and guide
formations provide a reliable means for controlling the deployment
of the article holder.
[0012] Conveniently, the article holder has deployed and stowed
positions, wherein in use, in moving from the stowed to the
deployed position the holder portion moves upwards and outwards
along said arcuate path. In this way, deployment of the article
holder is less likely to be impeded by, for example, raised
contours of a vehicle seat.
[0013] Conveniently, the mounting comprises a shell for mounting
within a recess provided to a child seat. The mounting means and
holder portion can be therefore be provided together as a unit
ready for installation within a suitable recess in a seat. The
shell and holder portion may each have a wedge shaped configuration
for optimising space usage.
[0014] Conveniently, in a stowed position, the holder is
substantially received in the mounting. As such, when stowed the
article holder lies substantially flush with the seat enhancing its
compactness.
[0015] Preferably, the holder portion and mounting have
co-operating detent formations for assisting in holding the holder
in its deployed position. In this way the article holder will
remain available for storage of articles unless closed by a
user.
[0016] Whilst the article holder can be provided in the seat back,
it is conveniently provided in a seat base of a child seat.
[0017] According to a further aspect of the present invention there
is provided an article holder for a child seat, the holder
comprising:--a holder portion for holding one or more articles, the
holder portion having one or more guide formations for engagement
with one or more complementary formations on a holder portion
mounting for slidably guiding the holder portion along an arcuate
path between deployed and stowed positions.
[0018] An example of the present invention will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:--
[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 show perspective and side views of a child
seat incorporating an article holder according to an embodiment of
the present invention, with the article holder in a stowed
position;
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the child seat of FIGS. 1
and 2 showing the article holder in a deployed position;
[0021] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the article holder of the present
invention, as slidably mounted on a mounting, removed from a child
seat for illustrative purposes, showing the operation of the
article holder of the present invention between stowed and deployed
positions;
[0022] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the holder portion of the
article holder of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 7 shows a perspective exterior view of a mounting of
the article holder of the present invention; and
[0024] FIG. 8 shows a front interior view of the mounting of FIG.
7.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a child seat 1 comprises generally
a seat base 2 and a seat back 3. An article holder 4 is provided to
a side of the seat base 2. In FIG. 3, the article holder 4 is shown
deployed, such that a cup or bottle holding receptacle 5 projects
outwardly from the side of the seat base.
[0026] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the article holder 4 is shown stowed, and
as such is substantially flush with the side profile of the seat
base 2.
[0027] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate how the article holder moves
between stowed and deployed positions. More particularly, movement
from the stowed to the deployed positions involves a holder portion
6 of the holder 1 moving upwardly and outwardly in relation to a
mounting 7 provided to the seat base 2. As shown, this movement
allows the article holder to be deployed unimpeded even where the
seat is provided to a vehicle which incorporates raised seat side
edges 8 (shown in dashed lines).
[0028] FIG. 6 shows detail of the holder portion 6. In this regard,
the holder portion has a generally curved upper running surface 9,
which engages with the mounting, also having an arcuate interior
surface profile. The holder portion has formation 10 for seating an
article such as a cup, this formation being exposed when the holder
is in its deployed position.
[0029] An exterior surface 12 of the holder is formed so as to be
generally flush with the seat side profile when the holder is in
its stowed position. Incorporated into the exterior surface 12 is a
finger grip formation 13 in the form of an aperture as shown in
FIG. 2, which facilitates deployment and stowage of the holder.
[0030] The holder portion moreover has sliders 14, provided in the
form of clip elements, which project from the arcuate running
surface 9. These sliders 14 cooperate with guide tracks 15 provided
within the mounting 7. The guide tracks take the form of slots in
the mounting. The mounting is in this regard formed from a half
shell segment, the slots being provided in an arcuate back wall 16
of the shell.
[0031] With the sliders 14 clipped into the slots, the arcuate
surfaces of the holder and mounting cooperate, and allow relative
slidable movement. The extent of the slots determines the amount of
movement between the stowed and deployed positions. Formations 17
are provided to the holder portion and mounting and are arranged to
cooperate with the holder portion in the deployed position. These
formations assist with holding the holder in the deployed
position.
[0032] Whilst the article holder may have a recess formed to hold a
bottle or cup, it may have additional recesses for electronic
games, or music or telephone devices. An article holder may be
provided on each side of the child seat, and these may be
configured for holding different articles.
[0033] The article holder may be used with child seats having
backrests or with booster seats.
[0034] As shown, the mounting 7 comprises a shell, which can be
mounted within a suitable recess provided in a child seat. The
mounting 7 and holder portion 6 can be therefore be provided
together as a unit ready for installation within such a suitable
recess in a seat.
* * * * *