SEAT BELT LOCK-OFF FOR A SAFETY SEAT

• US 20130300170A1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Britax Childcare Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Britax Childcare Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Maciejczyk, Wieslaw
• Granted Patent: US 9,174,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/265 Adaptations for seat belts
• 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

Abstract

This invention relates to a guide for a vehicle seat belt securing a child safety seat in the vehicle. The belt guide comprises a body, a slot extending into the body from an edge thereof and having a longitudinal axis, the slot further extending through the body in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis, and wherein the belt guide further comprises means adapted to permit movement of the belt lengthwise along the slot, and transversely through the slot in one direction, but not the other. An associated child safety seat comprising a guide is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A guide for a vehicle seat belt securing a child safety seat in the vehicle, the belt guide comprising a body, a slot extending into the body from an edge thereof and having a longitudinal axis, the slot further extending through the body in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis, and wherein the belt guide further comprises means adapted to permit movement of the belt lengthwise along the slot, and transversely through the slot in one direction, but not the other.

2. The guide of claim 1, wherein said means is operative by transverse movement of the belt in the impermissible direction to provide a locking effect which prevents further movement of the belt.

3. The guide of claim 2, wherein the locking effect is provided by a clamping action which grips the belt.

4. The guide as in claim 1, comprising a generally u-shaped body comprising a pair of arms separated by the slot, all of which extend in the direction of elongation of the slot.

5. The guide of claim 4, wherein one of the arms comprises a fixed jaw portion directed toward the slot, and the other arm supports a clamping member operative to move between a first position in which the clamping member clamps the belt between itself and the fixed jaw portion, and a second position in which the belt is released.

6. The guide of claim 5, wherein the clamping member comprises a cylindrical hinge pin portion from which their depends a jaw portion and a lever arm operative by transverse movement of the belt in the impermissible direction to cause rotation of the clamping member about its cylindrical hinge pin portion to effect clamping of the belt firmly between the opposing jaws portions.

7. The guide as in claim 1, wherein the body is formed as a one-piece plastics moulding.

8. The guide as in claim 5, wherein the clamping member is a one-piece plastics moulding.

9. A guide for a vehicle seat belt securing a child safety seat in the vehicle, the belt guide comprising a body having a pair of sides, and a slot extending into the body from an edge thereof and transversely from one of the pair of sides of the body to the other, and wherein the belt guide further comprises means adapted to permit movement of the belt lengthwise along the slot, and transversely through the slot in one direction, but not the other.

10. A child safety seat comprising a passageway for insertion of a vehicle seat belt therethrough, and a belt guide comprising a body, a slot extending from the passageway into the body and having a longitudinal axis, the slot further extending through the body in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis, and wherein the belt guide further comprises means adapted to permit movement of the belt lengthwise along the slot, and transversely through the slot in one direction, but not the other.

11. The child safety seat of claim 10, wherein said means is operative by transverse movement of the belt in the impermissible direction to provide a locking effect which prevents further movement of the belt.

12. The child safety seat as in claim 10, comprising opposing outwardly facing sides, each of which comprises a belt guide, so that there is a belt guide accessible irrespective of which side of the seat is the outboard side.

13. The child safety seat as in claim 10, wherein the impermissible direction for the or each belt guide is the one which permits loosening of or provision of slack to the belt.

14-15. -15. (canceled)