REVERSIBLE CHILD SEAT WITH A RETRACTOR/CONNECTOR MOUNTED TO A LOAD BEARING MEMBER

• US 20100090509A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Boyer, Jason, Balensiefer, Eugene R. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/253
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2893 coupled to the seat sub-frame

Abstract

A web extension and retraction device on a child seat. A pair of retractors are mounted to the device and have webs extendable therefrom with connectors releasable with vehicle anchors both when the child seat faces forward and rearward in the vehicle. In one embodiment the retractors slide in cavities provided on opposite sides of the child seat.

Claims

1. A mount for selectively securing in a forward facing position and a rearward facing position a child seat to vehicle anchors comprising:

a pair of retractor guides on a child seat with said child seat located therebetween, said guides having opposite ends;

a pair of retractors one each mounted relative to said guides, said retractors having webs with distal ends extendable and retractable therefrom with said retractors and webs being slidable between and positionable at said opposite ends of said guides depending on the child seat facing forward or rearward; and

,

a pair of anchor connectors connected to said distal ends of said webs, said connectors lockingly engageable with anchors provided on said vehicle to secure said child seat to said vehicle seat.

2. The mount of claim 1 wherein:

said retractor guides include a pair of housings with web slots opening externally from within said housings, said web slots have enlarged opposite openings; and

,

said retractors one each are located within said housings and have webs extendable and retractable through said web slots, said retractors and webs being slidable between said opposite ends of said web slots.

3. The mount of claim 2 wherein:

said connectors have mounting flanges mountingly receiving said distal ends of said webs; and

,

said slots are sized between said enlarged opposite ends of said slots to allow passage of said web therethrough but limit passage of said mounting flange therethrough whereas said mounting flanges with said webs may move together through said enlarged opposite openings allowing positioning of said connectors against said housings at said opposite ends.

4. The mount of claim 3 wherein:

said slots each follow a concave curve when viewed from atop said child seat.

5. The mount of claim 4 wherein:

each of said housings includes a metal wall adjacent said slots limiting movement of said webs along said concave curve.

6. The mount of claim 1 wherein:

said retractor guides include a pair of curved rods with opposite rod ends; and

,

said retractors one each slidably mounted on said rods between said opposite rod ends.

7. The mount of claim 6 wherein:

said retractors are positioned adjacent said child seat to limit pivoting motion about said rods as said retractors move on said rods between said opposite rod ends.

8. The mount of claim 7 wherein said child seat has a forward seat portion upon which a child may be seated and a back portion against which a child may rest and wherein:

said opposite rod ends are located at a forward seat portion of said child seat and at a back portion of said child seat.

9. A child seat mountable to a vehicle having a vehicle seat and vehicle anchors comprising:

a child seat frame upon which a child may be seated and having opposite sides, said child seat frame having a forward portion and a rearward portion;

a pair of guides provided on said opposite sides of said frame; and

,

a pair of web retractors and a pair of anchor connectors slidably mounted relative to said guides and with said retractors having extendable and retractable webs and said connectors releasably engageable with vehicle anchors to secure said child seat to a vehicle.

10. The child seat of claim 9 wherein:

said webs have distal ends with said anchor connectors connected to said distal ends and proximal ends connected to said retractors; and

,

said guides have opposite end portions located at said forward portion of said child seat and at said rearward portion of said child seat with said guides being curved therebetween.

11. The child seat of claim 10 wherein said guides are concave when viewed from atop said child seat when resting atop said vehicle seat.

12. The child seat of claim 11 wherein:

said guides include a pair of cavities extending between said opposite end portions of said guides and have said retractors slidably mounted therein between said opposite end portions, said cavities include outwardly opening slots extending between said opposite end portions sized to allow movement of said webs therethrough.

13. The child seat of claim 12 wherein:

said slots have enlarged opposite slot ends; and

,

said connectors having mounting flanges affixed to said distal ends of said webs, said mounting flanges and said distal ends sized to move together through said slots only at said enlarged opposite slot ends but not therebetween.

14. The child seat of claim 9 wherein:

said webs have ends slidably mounted to said guides which are rods mounted aside said child seat frame, said webs further have ends mounted to said retractors in turn mounted to said connectors.

15. A child seat mountable to a vehicle having a vehicle seat and vehicle anchors comprising:

a child seat frame upon which a child may be seated and having opposite sides, said child seat frame having a forward portion and a rearward portion;

a pair of guides having cavities provided on said opposite sides of said frame;

a pair of web retractors slidably mounted in said cavities and having extendable and retractable webs with distal ends; and

,

a pair of anchor connectors mounted to said distal ends and releasably engageable with vehicle anchors to secure said child seat to a vehicle.

16. The child seat of claim 15 wherein:

said cavities have opposite end portions located at said forward portion of said child seat frame and at said rearward portion of said child seat frame, said cavities include outwardly opening slots extending between said opposite end portions, said slots sized to allow movement of said webs therethrough; and

,

said retractors slidable to said opposite end portions at said forward portion with said connectors engageable with said anchors and said child seat frame facing rearward, said retractors positioned at said opposite end portions at said rearward portion with said connectors engageable with said anchors and said child seat frame facing, forward.

17. The child seat of claim 16 wherein:

said slots have enlarged opposite slot ends; and

,

said connectors having mounting flanges affixed to said distal ends of said webs, said mounting flanges and said distal ends sized to move together through said slots only at said enlarged opposite slot ends but not therebetween.

18. The child seat of claim 17 wherein:

said guides are connected together and to said child seat frame.

19. A web extension and retraction device securable to a child seat in turn connectable to vehicle anchors both when forward facing and rearward facing comprising:

an enclosure mountable to a child seat;

a pair of web retractors fixedly mounted within said enclosure and each having extendable and retractable webs with distal ends; and

a pair of anchor connectors mounted to said distal ends of said webs and engageable with vehicle anchors to hold a child seat thereto both when said child seat faces forward and rearward.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein:

said enclosure has a rearward surface having a pair of cavities into which said connectors may be inserted for storage when not connected to said vehicle anchors limiting said connectors from dangling from said child seat when not in use.