CHILD SAFETY SEAT WITH ENERGY ABSORBING APPARATUS

• US 20110227376A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Britax Child Safety Incorporated (Cc 1 (2011) Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Britax Child Safety Incorporated (Cc 1 (2011) Ltd.)
• Inventors: Strong, L. Curtis, Franck, Christopher G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2809 with additional tether connected to the top of the child seat and passing above the top of the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2884 with protection systems against abnormal g-forces
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2887 Fixation to a transversal anchorage bar, e.g. isofix

Abstract

A child safety seat configured for installation in a vehicle may include a base and a seat that includes a bottom, whereby the seat is connected to the base along an axis. The base and the seat together define a cavity that is disposed therebetween and the seat bottom is configured to rotate about the axis that connects the seat to the base during a frontal impact such that the seat bottom advances into the cavity. The safety seat may include energy absorbing member disposed within the cavity wherein the energy absorbing member is configured to be deformed as the seat bottom advances into the cavity during frontal impact. The energy absorbing member may be deformed by substantially vertical movement of the seat bottom into the cavity.

Claims

1. A safety seat comprising:

a base; and

a seat including a bottom and configured with an axis connecting the base and the seat;

wherein the base and seat define a cavity disposed therebetween; and

wherein the seat bottom is configured to rotate about the axis and advance into the cavity during a frontal impact.

2. The safety seat of claim 1, wherein the forward direction of the seat is defined by the direction an occupant of the safety seat is facing and the axis is disposed forward of the cavity.

3. The safety seat of claim 1, further comprising an energy absorbing member disposed within the cavity, wherein the energy absorbing member is configured to be deformed as the seat bottom advances into the cavity during the frontal impact.

4. The safety seat of claim 3, wherein the energy absorbing member is deformed by substantially vertical movement of the seat bottom into the cavity.

5. The safety seat of claim 1, wherein the base and the seat are configured with a motion guide to direct the motion of the seat bottom along a path into the cavity during the frontal impact.

6. The safety seat of claim 5, wherein the path of the seat bottom with respect to the base is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the frontal impact.

7. The safety seat of claim 5, wherein the motion guide includes a motion inhibitor that precludes motion of the seat bottom along the path when force from the frontal impact is below a threshold value.

8. The safety seat of claim 5, wherein the motion guide is fixed relative to the base and includes a groove, wherein the seat includes a pin that is fixed relative to the seat, wherein the pin is arranged within the groove, and wherein the pin and the groove cooperate to define the path of the seat bottom into the cavity during the frontal impact.

9. The safety seat of claim 5, wherein the motion guide is configured to provide a visual indication of the seat bottom moving along the path into the cavity during a frontal impact.

10. The safety seat of claim 1, wherein the seat is pivotally coupled to the base about the axis and the seat is configurable between at least two angles of recline with respect to the base.

11. The safety seat of claim 3, wherein the energy absorbing member disposed within the cavity is configured to allow the seat to adjust between at least two angles of recline with respect to the base.

12. The safety seat of claim 11, wherein a top surface of the energy absorbing member includes a concave curvature and wherein the concave curvature is configured to cradle the convex curvature of the bottom of the seat.

13. A safety seat comprising:

a base; and

a seat including a bottom;

wherein the base and seat define a cavity disposed therebetween;

wherein the seat bottom is configured to advance into the cavity during a frontal impact producing a force when the safety seat is installed in a vehicle in a forward-facing position; and

wherein the seat is configured to attach to a vehicle by at least one strap.

14. The safety seat of claim 13, wherein the at least one strap is configured to restrict the motion of the seat during a frontal impact and cause the seat bottom to advance towards the cavity when the safety seat is installed in a forward-facing position.

15. The safety seat of claim 13, further comprising energy absorbing member disposed within the cavity, wherein the energy absorbing member is configured to be deformed as the seat bottom advances into the cavity.

16. The safety seat of claim 13, wherein the seat bottom is configured to remain fixed relative to the base during a frontal impact when the safety seat is installed in a vehicle in a rearward facing position.

17. The safety seat of claim 13, further comprising a motion guide configured to direct motion of the seat bottom into the cavity during the frontal impact and wherein the motion guide comprises a pin ridge that prevents the seat bottom from advancing into the cavity when the force of the frontal impact is below a threshold value.

18. A safety seat comprising:

a seat including a bottom;

a base;

an energy absorbing member disposed between the bottom of the seat and the base; and

a motion guide configured to direct the bottom of the seat into the energy absorbing member and deforming the energy absorbing member during a frontal impact when the safety seat is installed in a vehicle in a forward-facing position and wherein the motion guide is configured to preclude the bottom of the seat from deforming the energy absorbing member during a frontal impact when the safety seat is installed in a vehicle in a rearward-facing position.

19. The safety seat of claim 18, wherein the motion guide is further configured to prevent the bottom of the seat from deforming the energy absorbing member during a frontal impact producing a force below a threshold value.

20. The safety seat of claim 18, further comprising attachment straps that attach the seat to the vehicle and cooperate with the motion guide to direct the bottom of the seat into the energy absorbing member during a frontal impact.

21. A method of reducing the effects of a frontal impact on an occupant of a safety seat, the safety seat defining a seat, a base, and a cavity disposed therebetween, the method comprising:

attaching the seat to a fixed location within a vehicle;

directing motion of the seat into the cavity during a frontal impact; and

compressing an energy absorbing member disposed within the cavity.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the directing motion of the seat into the cavity comprises advancing a pin of a motion guide past a motion inhibitor and directing the pin of the motion guide through at least a portion of a groove of the motion guide.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein compressing the energy absorbing member includes extending the duration of the motion of the seat into the cavity.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the attaching the seat to a fixed location within a vehicle comprises attaching the seat to the fixed location within the vehicle with an attachment strap.