Juvenile vehicle seat base with cup holder

• US 20060113826A1
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Balensiefer, Eugene R., Horton, William, Burbrink, Philip W., Munn, Ronald F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/188.10
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2866 booster cushions, e.g. to lift a child to allow proper use of the conventional safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/101 fixed

Abstract

A juvenile vehicle seat includes first and second cup holders and a seat bottom located between the first and second cup holders. The juvenile vehicle seat is adapted to be mounted in a restrained position on a seat in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A juvenile vehicle seat comprising a monolithic seat base including a first block, a second block arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first block, a seat bottom arranged to lie between the first and second blocks, a first cup holder formed to include an interior region and coupled to the first block, and a second cup holder formed to include an interior region and coupled to the second block, the first block being formed to include an interior edge defining an opening into the interior region of the first cup holder, the second block being formed to include an interior edge defining an opening into the interior region of the second cup holder.

2. The seat of claim 1, wherein the first block includes an inner face extending upwardly from the seat bottom and terminating along the interior edge of the first block to elevate the opening into the interior region of the first cup holder to a predetermined height above the seat bottom.

3. The seat of claim 2, wherein the first block is formed to include a downwardly opening cavity and the first cup holder is arranged to extend downwardly from a first portion of the interior edge of the first block to lie in the downwardly opening cavity.

4. The seat of claim 3, further comprising a backrest extending upwardly from the seat bottom and wherein the first block includes in series the inner face, a front face coupled to the inner face to face away from the backrest and configured to define a second portion of the interior edge of the first block, an outer rim face coupled to the front face to face away from the seat bottom and formed to define a third portion of the interior edge of the first block, and a rear face coupled to the outer rim face and inner face to face toward the backrest and formed to define a fourth portion of the interior edge of the first block, and wherein the inner face, front face, outer rim face, and rear face cooperate to define the interior edge of the first block and form a shell coupled to the first cup holder at the interior edge and configured to define the downwardly opening cavity.

5. The seat of claim 3, wherein the first cup holder includes an inner side wall coupled to the inner face of the first block at the first portion of the interior edge of the first block and arranged to extend away from the inner face of the first block and the seat base further includes a rigidifying rib lying in the downwardly opening cavity and extending between the inner face of the first block and the inner side wall of the first cup holder.

6. The seat of claim 3, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and the seat base further includes a rigidifying rib lying in the downwardly opening cavity and extending between the inner face of the first block and an underside of the floor.

7. The seat of claim 2, wherein the monolithic seat base further includes a vertical bottom support panel arranged to lie under the seat bottom and coupled to an underside of the seat bottom and to the inner face of the first block and a rigidifying rib arranged to lie under the inner face of the first block and coupled to the vertical bottom support panel and to the first cup holder.

8. The seat of claim 7, wherein the rigidifying rib is coupled to the inner face of the first block.

9. The seat of claim 7, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and walls extending upwardly from the floor to the interior edge of the first block and the rigidifying rib is coupled to one of the walls of the first cup holder.

10. The seat of claim 7, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and walls extending upwardly from the floor to the interior edge of the first block and the rigidifying rib is coupled to the floor of the first cup holder.

11. The seat of claim 7, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and walls extending upwardly from the floor to the interior edge of the first block and the rigidifying rib is coupled to one of the walls of the first cup holder and to the floor of the first cup holder.

12. The seat of claim 2, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and walls extending upwardly from the floor to the interior edge of the first block and the floor of the first cup holder is arranged to lie in a plane that lies above a portion of the seat bottom.

13. The seat of claim 12, wherein the monolithic seat base is formed to include a lower seat back arranged to extend upwardly from the seat bottom, the seat bottom includes a raised front portion located between the first and second blocks and an inclined rear portion located between the raised front portion and the lower seat back, and the floor of the first cup holder is arranged to lie in a plane that lies above a substantial portion of the inclined rear portion of the seat bottom.

14. The seat of claim 13, wherein the monolithic seat base further includes a first armrest coupled to a first side of the lower seat back and arranged to extend forwardly toward the first block and a second armrest coupled to a second side of the lower seat back and arranged to extend forwardly toward the second block.

15. The seat of claim 2, wherein the monolithic seat base includes a first armrest arranged to extend toward the first block and to cooperate with the first block to define therebetween belt receiver means for receiving a vehicle seat belt passing over the seat bottom and under the first armrest so that an occupant seated on the seat bottom is restrained from movement relative to the seat bottom.

16. The seat of claim 15, wherein the monolithic seat base further includes a first bottom support panel arranged to extend under the seat bottom and the first bottom support panel includes a forward portion coupled to an underside of the seat bottom and arranged to lie adjacent to the first cup holder, a rearward portion arranged to extend in a rearward direction away from the seat bottom and the first block and coupled to the first armrest, and a central portion located between the forward and rearward portions to underlie the belt receiver means and coupled to the seat bottom.

17. The seat of claim 1, wherein the monolithic seat base further includes a first armrest coupled to a first side of the lower seat back and arranged to extend forwardly toward the first block and a second armrest coupled to a second side of the lower seat back and arranged to extend forwardly toward the second block.

18. The seat of claim 1, wherein the monolithic seat base further includes a first bottom support panel arranged to lie under the seat bottom and coupled to an underside of the seat bottom and a first rigidifying rib coupled to the first block, first cup holder, and first bottom support panel.

19. The seat of claim 18, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and walls extending upwardly from the floor to the interior edge of the first block and the first rigidifying rib is coupled to one of the side walls and the floor of the first cup holder.

20. The seat of claim 18, wherein the monolithic seat base further includes a second bottom support panel arranged to lie under the seat bottom in spaced-apart relation to the first bottom support panel and coupled to an underside of the seat bottom and a second rigidifying rib coupled to the second block, second cup holder, and the second bottom support panel.

21. The seat of claim 20, wherein the second cup holder includes a floor and walls extending upwardly from the floor to the interior edge of the second block and the second rigidifying rib is coupled to one of the side walls and the floor of the second cup holder.

22. A juvenile vehicle seat comprising a monolithic seat base including a seat bottom, a first bottom support panel arranged to lie under the seat bottom along a first side edge thereof and coupled to an underside of the seat bottom, a second bottom support panel arranged to lie under the seat bottom along a second side edge thereof and in spaced-apart relation to the first bottom support panel and coupled to the underside of the seat bottom, first and second cup holders arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to locate the seat bottom and the first and second bottom support panels therebetween, a first rigidifying rib coupled to the first bottom support panel and to the first cup holder to anchor the first cup holder in a fixed position relative to the seat bottom, and a second rigidifying rib coupled to the second bottom support panel and to the second cup holder to anchor the second cup holder in a fixed position relative to the seat bottom.

23. The seat of claim 22, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and a wall extending upwardly from the floor and terminating at an opening into an interior region of the first cup holder, the second cup holder includes a floor and a wall extending upwardly from the floor of the second cup holder and terminating at an opening into an interior region of the second cup holder, the first rigidifying rib is coupled to the wall of the first cup holder, and the second rigidifying rib is coupled to the wall of the second cup holder.

24. The seat of claim 23, wherein the first rigidifying rib is also coupled to the floor of the first cup holder and the second rigidifying rib is also coupled to the floor of the second cup holder.

25. The seat of claim 22, wherein the first cup holder includes a floor and a wall extending upwardly from the floor and terminating at an opening into an interior region of the first cup holder, the second cup holder includes a floor and a wall extending upwardly from the floor of the second cup holder and terminating at an opening into an interior region of the second cup holder, the first rigidifying rib is coupled to the floor of the first cup holder, and the second rigidifying rib is coupled to the floor of the second cup holder.

26. A juvenile vehicle seat comprising a monolithic seat base including a seat bottom, a lower seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom, first and second armrests coupled to the lower seat back and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to locate a rearward portion of the seat bottom therebetween, first and second cup holders arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to locate a forward portion of the seat bottom therebetween and in fixed positions relative to the seat bottom.

27. The seat of claim 26, wherein each of the first and second cup holders is maintained in an elevated position above the rearward portion of the seat bottom.