EP1799501A1 - Improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats - Google Patents

Improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats

Info

Publication number
EP1799501A1
EP1799501A1 EP05791065A EP05791065A EP1799501A1 EP 1799501 A1 EP1799501 A1 EP 1799501A1 EP 05791065 A EP05791065 A EP 05791065A EP 05791065 A EP05791065 A EP 05791065A EP 1799501 A1 EP1799501 A1 EP 1799501A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
seat
harness
vehicle
child
tensioning
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP05791065A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Derrick Barker
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Equipbaby UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Equipbaby UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Equipbaby UK Ltd filed Critical Equipbaby UK Ltd
Publication of EP1799501A1 publication Critical patent/EP1799501A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/26—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles for children
    • B60N2/28—Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
    • B60N2/2821—Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle having a seat and a base part
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/26—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles for children
    • B60N2/28—Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
    • B60N2/2842—Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle adapted to carry the child, when dismounted from the vehicle
    • B60N2/2845—Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle adapted to carry the child, when dismounted from the vehicle having handles

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats.
  • child car seats of the first stage type in which a baby is restrained in a seat which can be carried by means of an integral handle to and from the car.
  • Such seats can be used outside the car and often include rocking functionality.
  • the seats are restrained in the car using the conventional adult 3 -point seat belt.
  • Car seats of this type include a three or five point harness to restrain the child.
  • the harness must be properly tensioned to restrain the child adequately in the seat during travel.
  • the tension in the harness is often relaxed to give the baby, often sleeping, greater freedom of movement and comfort.
  • it is essential for the child's safety to re-tension the harness properly prior to re-installing the seat in the car and driving off. This requirement is all to easy for parents and carers to forget.
  • the present invention seeks to provide a vehicle seat which addresses this problem.
  • the present invention provides a demountable child vehicle seat comprising a seat body and a carrying handle, wherein the seat further comprises a child restraint harness.
  • the invention is characterised in that the vehicle seat further comprises a supplementary harness tensioning system adapted to apply tension to the harness when the seat is used in an operative configuration in a vehicle and to disapply tension when the seat is in a demounted configuration.
  • the tensioning system comprises at least one tensioning element associated with the carrying handle.
  • the tensioning element comprises a cam element associated with the carrying handle and adapted to bear against a portion of webbing of the harness.
  • the vehicle seat further comprises a seat base upon which the seat body is mountable, wherein the seat body and seat base include intercooperating tensioning elements.
  • the seat base comprises a projecting element and the seat body comprises an aperture or indent over which a portion of the webbing passes, such that upon mounting of the seat body upon the seat base, the projecting element bears against the webbing and thereby tensions the webbing.
  • the projecting element is in the form of a ridged projection.
  • the seat base further comprises belt retaining means adapted to receive and be retained, in use, by a seat belt restraint of the vehicle.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of a first embodiment of a seat in accordance with the present invention in a demounted configuration
  • Figure 2 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a mounted configuration upon a vehicle seat;
  • Figure 3 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of a second embodiment of a seat in accordance with the present invention in a demounted configuration
  • Figure 4 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of the embodiment of Figure 3 in a mounted configuration.
  • FIG. 1 there is illustrated an embodiment of a car seat 10 in accordance with the present invention.
  • the seat is generally conventional in construction and includes a seat body 11 providing a generally bucket-shaped seat surface 12.
  • a carrying handle 13 is pivotally mounted upon the seat body 11 and is moveable between a carrying position ( Figure 1) and a travelling position ( Figure 2).
  • the handle 13 will be placed in the stowed position when the seat is installed in a vehicle such as a car whereupon the seat body sits upon the seat surface 14 of the car and the carrying handle bears against the surface of the back 15 of the car seat, thereby providing a bracing function.
  • the car seat includes a child restraint harness 20 generally of the 3-point or 5-point type.
  • shoulder webbing portions 21 pass though apertures in the seat adjacent (in use) the child's shoulders and then down over the shoulders to act as shoulder restraints.
  • the shoulder webbing portions terminate in buckle elements 22 which are received by and retained within a buckle 23 mounted one and end of a crotch webbing portion 24 which then passes through an aperture in the seat between the child's legs and is retained therein.
  • the shoulder webbing portions typically include length adjustment means which, by adjusting the length of the webbing over the child's shoulders, provide a primary tensioning system.
  • the shoulder webbing portions are coupled to or form a part of a tensioning belt 25.
  • Tensioning belt 25 passes underneath the seat and through an aperture in a forward portion of the seat where it is retained by a clamp element 30.
  • Primary tensioning arrangements of this type are known from the field of car seats for older children.
  • the harness 20 is tensioned by pulling on tensioning belt 25 and is retained at the desired tension by clamp element 30.
  • Tension in the harness is relaxed by releasing clamp element 30 and pulling on the shoulder webbing portions 21.
  • a supplementary tensioning system is provided.
  • the supplementary tensioning system is formed by a cam surface 31 associated with carrying handle 13 and which bears against tensioning belt 25 as handle 13 is moved from the carrying position ( Figure 1) to the travelling position ( Figure 2).
  • the cam surface 31 is formed by a cam element mounted upon a beam passing under the seat, the beam being operatively coupled to the carrying handle 13.
  • the cam surface 31 bears against the tensioning belt 25
  • the belt 25 is pulled into a more tensioned state ( Figure 2).
  • the child is thus better restrained by the harness 20, even if the parent has forgotten to tension the harness using the primary tensioning system.
  • the car seat 40 comprises a seat unit 41 and a base unit 42.
  • the base unit sits upon the surface of the seat of the car.
  • the seat unit 41 is of generally conventional construction and includes a generally bucket shaped seat 42, a pivotable carrying handle 43 and a harness 44 of the same general construction as described above for the first embodiment, comprising a shoulder harness arrangement 45 engaging a buckle 46 on a crotch strap 47 and including a tensioning belt 50, retainable in a predetermined position by means of clamp element 51.
  • Seat unit 41 and base unit 42 include intercooperating tensioning elements to form the supplementary tensioning system.
  • the base unit 42 includes a projection 52 which mates with an aperture or recess 53 formed in an underside surface of the seat unit 41.
  • Projection 52 and recess 53 are located on their respective components in a position such that as the components are brought together, projection 52 bears against the tensioning belt 50, pushing it into recess 53 and thereby increasing the tension of the harness 44.
  • the intercooperating tensioning elements are located towards an upper, or head, end of the seat. In alternative embodiments, these elements are located in any suitable position. For example, location in the region of the feet end of the seat is equally suitable.
  • the base unit 42 includes belt retaining elements (not shown) to receive and thereby be retained in place by webbing of the conventional three point vehicle seat belt. Accordingly, the base unit 42 is retained in position in the car as the seat unit 41 itself is removed.
  • the seat unit 41 includes the belt retaining elements such that, in use, the vehicle's seat belt retains both the seat unit 41 and the base unit 42.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Child & Adolescent Psychology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Seats For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats. In particular, it relates to child car seats of the first stage type which a baby is restrained in a seat which can be carried by means of an integral handle to and from the car. We describe a demountable child vehicle seat comprising a seat body (11) and a carrying handle (13), wherein the seat further comprises a child restraint harness (20) . The invention is characterised in that the vehicle seat further comprises a supplementary harness tensioning system (31, 52, 53) adapted to apply tension to the harness when the seat is used in an operative configuration in a vehicle and to disapply tension when the seat is in a demounted configuration.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CHILD VEHICLE SEATS
The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats. In particular, it relates to child car seats of the first stage type in which a baby is restrained in a seat which can be carried by means of an integral handle to and from the car. Such seats can be used outside the car and often include rocking functionality. The seats are restrained in the car using the conventional adult 3 -point seat belt.
Car seats of this type include a three or five point harness to restrain the child. The harness must be properly tensioned to restrain the child adequately in the seat during travel. When used outside the car, the tension in the harness is often relaxed to give the baby, often sleeping, greater freedom of movement and comfort. However, if this is done, it is essential for the child's safety to re-tension the harness properly prior to re-installing the seat in the car and driving off. This requirement is all to easy for parents and carers to forget.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a vehicle seat which addresses this problem.
In its broadest sense, the present invention provides a demountable child vehicle seat comprising a seat body and a carrying handle, wherein the seat further comprises a child restraint harness. The invention is characterised in that the vehicle seat further comprises a supplementary harness tensioning system adapted to apply tension to the harness when the seat is used in an operative configuration in a vehicle and to disapply tension when the seat is in a demounted configuration.
In one embodiment, the tensioning system comprises at least one tensioning element associated with the carrying handle.
Preferably, the tensioning element comprises a cam element associated with the carrying handle and adapted to bear against a portion of webbing of the harness. In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle seat further comprises a seat base upon which the seat body is mountable, wherein the seat body and seat base include intercooperating tensioning elements.
Preferably, the seat base comprises a projecting element and the seat body comprises an aperture or indent over which a portion of the webbing passes, such that upon mounting of the seat body upon the seat base, the projecting element bears against the webbing and thereby tensions the webbing.
Suitably, the projecting element is in the form of a ridged projection.
Preferably, the seat base further comprises belt retaining means adapted to receive and be retained, in use, by a seat belt restraint of the vehicle.
The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be explained in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of a first embodiment of a seat in accordance with the present invention in a demounted configuration;
Figure 2 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a mounted configuration upon a vehicle seat;
Figure 3 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of a second embodiment of a seat in accordance with the present invention in a demounted configuration; and
Figure 4 is a schematic side, part sectional, view of the embodiment of Figure 3 in a mounted configuration.
Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2, there is illustrated an embodiment of a car seat 10 in accordance with the present invention. The seat is generally conventional in construction and includes a seat body 11 providing a generally bucket-shaped seat surface 12. A carrying handle 13 is pivotally mounted upon the seat body 11 and is moveable between a carrying position (Figure 1) and a travelling position (Figure 2). The handle 13 will be placed in the stowed position when the seat is installed in a vehicle such as a car whereupon the seat body sits upon the seat surface 14 of the car and the carrying handle bears against the surface of the back 15 of the car seat, thereby providing a bracing function.
The car seat includes a child restraint harness 20 generally of the 3-point or 5-point type. In the 3-point type of harness, shoulder webbing portions 21 pass though apertures in the seat adjacent (in use) the child's shoulders and then down over the shoulders to act as shoulder restraints. The shoulder webbing portions terminate in buckle elements 22 which are received by and retained within a buckle 23 mounted one and end of a crotch webbing portion 24 which then passes through an aperture in the seat between the child's legs and is retained therein. The shoulder webbing portions typically include length adjustment means which, by adjusting the length of the webbing over the child's shoulders, provide a primary tensioning system.
In a 5-point harness, rather than the shoulder webbing portions terminating in the buckle element, each simply passes through its respective buckle elements and then through a respective aperture in the seat either side of the child's legs, thereby providing an additional restraint, upon the child's legs.
In the embodiments of the present invention, the shoulder webbing portions are coupled to or form a part of a tensioning belt 25. Tensioning belt 25 passes underneath the seat and through an aperture in a forward portion of the seat where it is retained by a clamp element 30. Primary tensioning arrangements of this type are known from the field of car seats for older children. The harness 20 is tensioned by pulling on tensioning belt 25 and is retained at the desired tension by clamp element 30. Tension in the harness is relaxed by releasing clamp element 30 and pulling on the shoulder webbing portions 21.
In accordance with the present invention, a supplementary tensioning system is provided. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the supplementary tensioning system is formed by a cam surface 31 associated with carrying handle 13 and which bears against tensioning belt 25 as handle 13 is moved from the carrying position (Figure 1) to the travelling position (Figure 2). Suitably, the cam surface 31 is formed by a cam element mounted upon a beam passing under the seat, the beam being operatively coupled to the carrying handle 13. As the cam surface 31 bears against the tensioning belt 25, the belt 25 is pulled into a more tensioned state (Figure 2). The child is thus better restrained by the harness 20, even if the parent has forgotten to tension the harness using the primary tensioning system.
An alternative embodiment is shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the car seat 40 comprises a seat unit 41 and a base unit 42. In use, the base unit sits upon the surface of the seat of the car.
The seat unit 41 is of generally conventional construction and includes a generally bucket shaped seat 42, a pivotable carrying handle 43 and a harness 44 of the same general construction as described above for the first embodiment, comprising a shoulder harness arrangement 45 engaging a buckle 46 on a crotch strap 47 and including a tensioning belt 50, retainable in a predetermined position by means of clamp element 51.
Seat unit 41 and base unit 42 include intercooperating tensioning elements to form the supplementary tensioning system. The base unit 42 includes a projection 52 which mates with an aperture or recess 53 formed in an underside surface of the seat unit 41.
Projection 52 and recess 53 are located on their respective components in a position such that as the components are brought together, projection 52 bears against the tensioning belt 50, pushing it into recess 53 and thereby increasing the tension of the harness 44.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the intercooperating tensioning elements are located towards an upper, or head, end of the seat. In alternative embodiments, these elements are located in any suitable position. For example, location in the region of the feet end of the seat is equally suitable.
Suitably, the base unit 42 includes belt retaining elements (not shown) to receive and thereby be retained in place by webbing of the conventional three point vehicle seat belt. Accordingly, the base unit 42 is retained in position in the car as the seat unit 41 itself is removed. Alternatively, the seat unit 41 includes the belt retaining elements such that, in use, the vehicle's seat belt retains both the seat unit 41 and the base unit 42.

Claims

Claims
1. A demountable child vehicle seat comprising a seat body and a carrying handle, wherein the seat further comprises a child restraint harness; characterised in that the vehicle seat further comprises a supplementary harness tensioning system adapted to apply tension to the harness when the seat is used in an operative configuration in a vehicle and to disapply tension when the seat is in a demounted configuration.
2. A seat as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the tensioning system comprises at least one tensioning element associated with the carrying handle.
3. A seat as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the tensioning element comprises a cam element associated with the carrying handle and adapted to bear against a portion of webbing of the harness.
4. A seat as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the vehicle seat further comprises a seat base upon which the seat body is mountable, wherein the seat body and seat base include intercooperating tensioning elements forming the supplementary harness tensioning system.
5. A seat as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the seat base comprises a projecting element and the seat body comprises an aperture or indent over which a portion of the harness passes, such that upon mounting of the seat body upon the seat base, the projecting element bears against the portion of the harness and thereby tensions the harness.
6. A seat as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the projecting element is in the form of a ridged projection.
7. A seat as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the seat base further comprises belt retaining means adapted to receive and be retained, in use, by a seat belt restraint of the vehicle.
EP05791065A 2004-09-15 2005-09-15 Improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats Withdrawn EP1799501A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0420589A GB0420589D0 (en) 2004-09-15 2004-09-15 Car seat surface converter and harness tensioner
PCT/GB2005/050161 WO2006030246A1 (en) 2004-09-15 2005-09-15 Improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1799501A1 true EP1799501A1 (en) 2007-06-27

Family

ID=33306672

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05791053A Withdrawn EP1805059A2 (en) 2004-09-15 2005-09-15 Improvements in or relating to child seats
EP05791065A Withdrawn EP1799501A1 (en) 2004-09-15 2005-09-15 Improvements in or relating to child vehicle seats

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05791053A Withdrawn EP1805059A2 (en) 2004-09-15 2005-09-15 Improvements in or relating to child seats

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (2) EP1805059A2 (en)
GB (1) GB0420589D0 (en)
WO (2) WO2006030246A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2425512B (en) 2005-04-29 2009-01-07 Hts Hans Torgersen & Sonn As Children's safety seat with guide and tension device
CN101856985B (en) * 2010-06-09 2013-02-27 好孩子儿童用品有限公司 Vehicle seat for children
DE102020207083B4 (en) 2020-06-05 2022-01-05 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Safety child seat and motor vehicle with this safety child seat

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4343510A (en) * 1980-03-31 1982-08-10 Questor Corporation Child car seat and restraining system
ATE17688T1 (en) * 1982-10-08 1986-02-15 Dremefa Mach Metaal SAFETY CHILD SEAT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.
US5031962A (en) * 1990-03-27 1991-07-16 Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc. Low profile web adjuster
US5061012A (en) * 1990-09-04 1991-10-29 Gerry Baby Products Company Child car seat with automatic harness adjustment
DE4405147C2 (en) * 1994-02-18 1997-10-16 Audi Ag Child seat for transporting small children in a vehicle
ATE355993T1 (en) * 2002-11-05 2007-03-15 Equipbaby Ltd DEVICE FOR DEFLECTING A SEAT BELT FOR A CHILD VEHICLE SEAT FOR USE WITH A FIXED BASE

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2006030246A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0420589D0 (en) 2004-10-20
WO2006030246A1 (en) 2006-03-23
WO2006030245A3 (en) 2006-10-19
WO2006030245A2 (en) 2006-03-23
EP1805059A2 (en) 2007-07-11

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