AU7237500A - Seat/restraint assembly - Google Patents

Description

P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

S

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Invention Title: Autoliv Australia Pty Ltd Neil Alastair Maisey Freehills Carter Smith Beadle 101 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia Seat/Restraint Assembly Details ofAssociated Provisional Application: PQ4778 filed 21 December 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us SEAT/RESTRAINT ASSEMBLY Field of the Invention This invention relates to improvement seat/restraint assemblies for motor vehicles, and more particularly to an integrated child's seat and infant capsule for a vehicle.

Background of the Invention Child's safety seats for motor vehicles are well known and have been extensively developed. In the past, such safety seats have been constructed separately for suitable attachment to a motor vehicle seat. Due to their size, such seats are usually secured by means attached to the safety belt anchor points of the vehicle. Since it is inconvenient to remove and replace the safety seat as it is required, numerous proposals have been made to incorporate a child's safety seat within a passenger seat within a vehicle. United States Patent 4,986,600 illustrates such a proposal in which a child's seat is incorporated within the backrest of a passenger seat.

In this arrangement, the seat is collapsible and is connected to the vehicle to be pivoted to an operative position overlaying the passenger seat, and also incorporates a padded child restraint in the form of a pivoted frame.

°"'":Although the above arrangement has the advantage of providing a child's 20 seat which is incorporated into a vehicle passenger seat, it nevertheless has the disadvantage of only supporting children of certain ages and provides inadequate support for infants.

The above deficiency has been addressed to some extent in United States Patents 4,756,573 and 5,224,756, which disclose a multi-mode child's seat having 25 an adult mode, a child mode and an infant mode. However, the child's seat and ooooo infant capsule are separate structures and to that extent such arrangements have the disadvantage of not being fully incorporated into the seat of the vehicle.

Summary of the Invention and Object It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat assembly in which a child's seat structure and an infant capsule are integrally contained in a single unit.

TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000 The invention therefore provides a seating assembly including a first frame with hinge means adapted for pivotable mounting to a seat means in a vehicle, an infant capsule carried by said first frame, said infant capsule being deployable when said seating assembly is pivoted from a stored position to an active position, said infant capsule being configured to receive an infant and including means for attaching infant restraint means to said assembly, a child's seat structure including a second frame which is pivotally hinged to said first frame to deploy said child's seat structure from a stored position to an active position when said seating assembly is in its stored position, said child's seat structure including means for attaching child restraint means thereto.

In a preferred form of the invention, the seating assembly has an exposed side and an enclosed side when in the stored position, said infant capsule being mounted on the enclosed side of the assembly and the child's seat structure being mounted on the exposed side of the assembly.

When the seating assembly and the child's seat structure are in their stored positions, the seating assembly preferably defines part of the backrest of the seat means in the vehicle whereby the seat means is capable of normal use.

The seating assembly preferably includes releasable latching means for maintaining the seating assembly in its stored position. When the latching means .i 20 are released, the infant capsule carried by the first frame can be deployed to its :e active position in which the infant capsule is forwardly inclined with respect to the backrest of the vehicle seat.

The infant capsule preferably includes a moulded base which is configured to receive an infant in the prone position. The means for attaching infant restraint 25 means are preferably secured to the moulded base so as to be accessible when the e infant is received in the capsule. The moulded base is rigidly secured to the first ~frame to become an integral part of the first frame. The moulded base is suitably upholstered so that the infant can be safely and comfortably restrained within the capsule.

The child's seat structure preferably includes a seat portion pivoted to the first frame and side members pivoted to the seat portion and to the first frame for TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000 deployment from a stored position to an active position in which the child receiving seat is provided. The side members are preferably in the form of side bolsters including rigid frame portions and upholstered bolster portions for providing side protection of the child when restrained in the child's seat structure.

While any suitable form of suitable restraint means may be used for restraining the infant and the child in their respective seats, it is preferred that a common restraint be provided for attachment to the seating assembly.

Most currently available restraints include multiple attachment and adjustment points which the parent requires to carefully adjust to ensure that the child or infant is appropriately restrained.

It is an object of a further aspect of the present invention to provide an improved restraint harness in which the problem of multiple adjustment is overcome.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a harness for restraining a person and including a pair of restraining straps extending for attachment to separate anchoring points, central adjustment means for varying the length of said straps, said adjustment means being carried by said straps and having a single operating device which enables the straps to be simultaneously tightened, and release means for releasing the straps from their tightened condition.

.i 20 By providing a single operating device by means of which the straps can be *oo• tightened, adjustment of the restraining straps is simply and conveniently achieved.

In a preferred form of the invention, the central adjustment means includes a drum means about which the restraining straps are wound, said operating device causing rotation of said drum means in one direction only to cause tightening of the 25 straps with respect to their anchoring points.

o The drum means preferably includes a one way clutch means adapted to be released by said release means to enable loosening of the straps.

In a preferred form, the harness includes a fixed length strap carried by the central adjustment means and having end attachment means for attachment to separate anchoring points.

TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000 In order that the invention may be more readily understood, one preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat showing the seating assembly embodying the invention in a stored position; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 in which the child's seat structure is in its deployed or active position; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the seating assembly in its stored position; Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the seating assembly showing the infant capsule of the seating assembly; Figure 5 is a side elevation taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 3; Figure 6 is a side elevation similar to Figure 5 showing the child's seat in its active or deployed position; Figure 7 is a side elevation of the seating assembly with the infant capsule in its deployed or active position; Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation taken along the line 8-8 in Figure 3; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a harness embodying the invention, and Figure 10 is a plan view of the harness in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a sectional elevation taken along the line A-A in Figure i 20 Figure 12 is a perspective view of the belt drive mechanism; !'"'"Figure 13 is a sectional elevation along the line B-B in Figure Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 showing the clamp released, and Figure 15 is a perspective view of the clamping mechanism.

Description of Preferred Embodiment 25 Referring to the drawings, the seating assembly 1 embodying the present oo• invention is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 as being fully incorporated in the backrest 2 of a car seat 3 so as to be flush with the backrest 2 in its stored position as illustrated in Figure 1. If desired, a removable cover (not shown) may overlie the assembly so that the backrest 2 has the appearance of a standard backrest. In the present embodiment, the seating assembly 1 replaces the centrefold of the backrest and attaches to the same pivot points as the centrefold.

TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000 The seating assembly 1 includes a back section 4 and a seat section 5 which is deployable from a stored position to an active position as illustrated in Figure 2 in a manner to be described further below. The backrest of the child's seat includes the back section 4 and a lower back rest portion 4a, each of which engage the back of a child engaging the seat 5 and restrained by a harness H.

In the deployed position illustrated in Figure 2, side members or bolsters 7 extend from the seat portion 5 for containing and protecting a child supported by the seat portion 5. The back section 4 is connected to the assembly 1 at its upper edge through an elastic live hinge (not shown) which allows the back section 4 to move into alignment with the lower back section 4a of the assembly, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 8 of the drawings, thereby providing a smooth backrest.

As illustrated in Figure 4, an infant capsule 8 is mounted to the rear face of the seating assembly 1 and latching means 9 are provided to hold the seating assembly 1 in its stored position in which the latching means 9 engage anchor points already provided behind the backrest 2 of the motor vehicle seat. Release means 9a similar to the standard release means are provided at the upper edge of the seating assembly 1.

As illustrated most clearly in Figures 5 to 7, the seating assembly 1 is hingedly attached to the seat of the vehicle by a hinging mechanism 10, similar to S. 20 the standard hinging mechanism for the centrefold of the vehicle, and attached to the sides of a pressed metal frame 11 formed with an active hinge 12 to which the side members 7 are hingedly attached for deployment as illustrated in Figure 6. The side members 7 are hinged to the seat member 5 and the seat member 5 is in turn hinged to the sides of the frame 11 at points 17 as illustrated. The child's seat S. 25 structure 6 is deployed by pivoting the seat 5 from its stored position illustrated in Figure 5 to its deployed or active position illustrated in Figure 6, this action further S. deploying the side members 7 under the control of the active hinge 12.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 8, both the child's seat structure 3 and the infant capsule 8 are provided with multiple anchor points 13 for the attachment of restraining harness means H illustrated schematically in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, and described in further detail below. The same harness H can be TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000 connected to the anchor points 13 associated with the child's seat 6 and with the infant capsule 8.

The side members or bolsters 7 are defined by the sides of a pressed metal plate (not shown) and are covered by cushioning material as illustrated.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, the infant capsule 8 comprises a moulded plastics base 18 which is supported within an opening in the frame 11 and rigidly secured thereto by suitable attaching means such as adhesive. The base 18 is covered by upholstery material 19 which defines a recessed portion adapted to receive an infant lying down. The anchor points 13 for the capsule 8 pass through openings in the moulded base 18 and are rigidly riveted to the base 18 in a manner not shown. The upholstery material 19 is recessed to provide access to the anchor points 13 as illustrated.

The frame 11 is braced by a cross member 20 to compensate for the capsule receiving opening in the frame, and the cross member 20 is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The infant capsule 8 is further provided with a pivoted headrest/protector 21, which is illustrated in Figure 8 in its inactive position. If desired, a mechanism (not shown) may be provided for automatically deploying the headrest/protector 21 :°°ooo Vo:. when the seating assembly 1 is pivoted from is stored position to its active position 20 as illustrated in Figure 7.

S It will be appreciated from the above description that the seating assembly 1 according to the preferred embodiment can be simply and conveniently operated to deploy the child's seat structure as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, or may be pivoted as a whole from its stored position as illustrated in Figure 5 to its active 25 position illustrated in Figure 7 in which the infant capsule 8 is exposed for use. As clearly shown in Figure 7, the infant capsule is slightly inclined to the horizontal in its deployed position in accordance with the statutory safety requirements.

:Referring now to Figures 9 to 15 of the drawings, a preferred form of the harness H is illustrated. The harness H comprises a pair of straps or belts B of known webbing material which are arranged to extend through a central single point adjuster 22 having a single-direction rotatable device 23 arranged to rotate a belt TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000 8 spindle 24 by means of a toothed belt drive 25 (Figures 11 and 12) connected to the operator 23 and to the spindle 24.

The adjuster 22 also supports a fixed belt adapted to provide restraint in the crotch region of the child or infant.

Each belt B is wound around the spindle 24 and anchored to a common anchoring point following which the belt continues around the spindle and passes out the other side of the central adjuster 22. The spindle 24 is controlled by a oneway clutch (not shown) and a spring loaded webbing clamp 26 is provided to prevent unreeling of the belts from the spindle 24 unless a release button 27 is activated (Figure 14).

In use, known releasable buckles (not shown) on the belts B, B' are attached to the anchoring tongues 13 of either the child's seat structure 6 or the infant capsule 8 whereupon the one-way operator 23 is rotated until the belts B are appropriately tensioned. The provision of this mechanism greatly simplifies the operation of restraining a child or infant quickly and efficiently with the appropriate tension applied to the belts B of the harness H.

While the above described belt tensioning mechanism is preferred, it will be appreciated that the harness described may be replaced by a known harness of any .suitable type having the appropriate configuration.

.e .e eee.ei ee• e e• e* TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000

Claims (11)

1. A seating assembly including a first frame with hinge means adapted for pivotable mounting to a seat means in a vehicle, an infant capsule carried by said first frame, said infant capsule being deployable when said seating assembly is pivoted from a stored position to an active position, said infant capsule being configured to receive an infant and including means for attaching infant restraint means to said assembly, a child's seat structure including a second frame which is pivotally hinged to said first frame to deploy said child's seat structure from a stored position to an active position when said seating assembly is in its stored position, said child's seat structure including means for attaching child restraint means thereto.

2. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly has an exposed side and an enclosed side when in the stored position, said infant capsule being mounted on the enclosed side of the assembly and the child's seat structure being mounted on the exposed side of the assembly. .oo o The seating assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the seating assembly and the 20 child's seat structure are in their stored positions, the seating assembly defines part of the backrest of the seat means in the vehicle whereby the seat means is capable of normal use.

4. The seating assembly of any preceding claim, further including releasable 25 latching means for maintaining the seating assembly in its stored position. The seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the latching means are released, the infant capsule carried by the first frame can be deployed to its active position in which the infant capsule is forwardly inclined with respect to the backrest of the vehicle seat. TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000

6. The seating assembly of any preceding claim wherein, the infant capsule includes a moulded base which is configured to receive an infant in the prone position, said means for attaching infant restraint means are being secured to the moulded base so as to be accessible when the infant is received in the capsule.

7. The seating assembly of claim 6, wherein the moulded base is rigidly secured to the first frame to become an integral part of the first frame, the moulded base being suitably upholstered so that the infant can be safely and comfortably restrained within the capsule.

8. The seating assembly of any preceding claim wherein, the child's seat structure includes a seat portion pivoted to the first frame and side members pivoted to the seat portion and to the first frame for deployment from said stored position to said active position in which a child receiving seat is provided.

9. The seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the side members are in the form of side bolsters including rigid frame portions and upholstered bolster portions for providing side protection to the child when restrained in the child's seat structure. 20 10. A harness for restraining a person and including a pair of restraining straps extending for attachment to separate anchoring points, central adjustment means for varying the length of said straps, said adjustment means caused by the shapes having a single operating device which enables the straps to be simultaneously *S*S tightened, and release means for releasing the straps from their tightened condition. o

11. The harness of claim 10, wherein the central adjustment means includes a *drum means about which the restraining straps are wound, said operating device causing rotation of said drum means in one direction only to cause tightening of the straps with respect to their anchoring points. TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000

12. The harness of claim 11, wherein the drum means includes a one way clutch means adapted to be released by said release means to enable loosening of the straps.

13. The harness of claim 10, 11 or 12, further including a fixed length strap carried by the central adjustment means and having end attachment means for attachment to separate anchoring points.

14. The harness of any one of claims 10 to 13, substantially as described with reference to Figures 9 to 15 of the accompanying drawings. A seating assembly substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings. DATED: 19 December 2000 FREEHILLS CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: AUTOLIV AUSTRALIA PTY LTD e. TNB:NB:40407224.CAP 19 December 2000