Infant Car Seat Base with Safety Belt Lock-Off Arm

• US 20150183341A1
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Carpenter, Jason Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,365,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2803 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

An infant car seat base has a body, a belt path on the body configured to accept a base anchoring strap there along, and a lock-off arm coupled to the body. The lock-off arm is movable between a blocking position and a lock-off position. The lock-off arm, when in the lock-off position, permits a child seat to be attached to the body. The lock-off arm, when in the blocking position, blocks, inhibits, or prevents attachment of the child seat to the body. A base anchoring strap is captured between the lock-off arm and the body of the base when the base is mounted and secured to a vehicle seat.

Claims

1. An infant car seat base comprising:

a body;

a belt path on the body configured to accept a base anchoring strap there along; and

a lock-off arm coupled to the body, the lock-off arm movable between a blocking position and a lock-off position,

wherein the lock-off arm, when in the lock-off position, permits a child seat to be attached to the body, and

wherein the lock-off arm, when in the blocking position, blocks, inhibits, or prevents attachment of the child seat to the body.

2. An infant car seat base according to claim 1, wherein a lock-off portion of the lock-off arm, when in the lock-off position, closely overlies the belt path to capture a base anchoring strap therebetween.

3. An infant car seat base according to claim 1, wherein the lock-off arm is pivotable relative to the body between the blocking position and the lock-off position.

4. An infant car seat base according to claim 1, wherein the lock-off arm is connected to the body and pivotably raised above the body in the blocking position and pivotably lowered closely adjacent to or against the body in the lock-off position.

5. An infant car seat base according to claim 1, wherein a lock-off portion of the lock-off arm closely follows the contour of at least part of the belt path when in the lock-off position.

6. An infant car seat base according to claim 1, further comprising:

a latch mechanism on the infant car seat base configured to releasably secure the lock-off arm in the lock-off position closely adjacent to or against the body.

7. An infant car seat base according to claim 6, wherein the latch mechanism has a first part on the lock-off arm that engages a second part on the body when latched and that disengages the second part when released.

8. An infant car seat base according to claim 1, wherein the lock-off arm and/or the belt path are configured to capture a base anchoring strap between the body and the lock-off arm and to impart one or more non-linear shapes, curves, bends, or kinks to the base anchoring strap.

9. An infant car seat comprising:

a base having a body, a belt path on the body, and a lock-off arm coupled to the body, the lock-off arm movable between a blocking position and a lock-off position relative to the body; and

a child seat attachable to the base,

wherein the lock-off arm, when in the lock-off position, permits the child seat to be attached to the body, and

wherein the lock-off arm, when in the blocking position, blocks, inhibits, or prevents attachment of the child seat to the body.

10. An infant car seat according to claim 9, wherein a lock-off portion of the lock-off arm, when in the lock-off position, closely overlies the belt path and is configured to capture a base anchoring strap therebetween.

11. An infant car seat according to claim 9, wherein the lock-off arm has free ends pivotally connected to the body and a bar extending between the free ends.

12. An infant car seat according to claim 11, wherein part of the bar of the lock-off arm is pivotably raised above the body in the blocking position and pivotably lowered closely adjacent to or against the body in the lock-off position.

13. An infant car seat according to claim 9, wherein a lock-off portion of the lock-off arm is configured to contact at least part of a base anchoring strap when in the lock-off position.

14. An infant car seat according to claim 9, further comprising a latch mechanism on the base configured to releasably secure the lock-off arm in the lock-off position closely adjacent to or against the body.

15. An infant car seat according to claim 9, further comprising a base anchoring strap positionable to extend along the belt path on the body when the base is mounted to a vehicle seat.

16. An infant car seat according to claim 15, wherein the lock-off arm and the belt path are configured to capture the base anchoring strap between the body and the lock-off arm and to impart one or more non-linear shapes, curves, bends, or kinks to the base anchoring strap with the lock-off arm in the lock-off position.

17. An infant car seat according to claim 15, wherein the base anchoring strap is a lap belt portion of a safety harness of a vehicle seat.

18. An infant car seat according to claim 15, wherein the base anchoring strap is an anchor belt that can be clipped or anchored to child seat anchors of a vehicle seat.

19. A method of installing an infant car seat on a vehicle seat, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a base of the infant car seat on a vehicle seat;

arranging a base anchoring strap along a belt path on a body of the base;

moving a lock-off arm coupled to the body of the base from a blocking position, which prevents, inhibits or blocks attachment of an infant seat to the base, to a lock-off position relative to the body, the base anchoring strap being captured between the belt path on the body and a portion of the lock-off arm; and

attaching a child seat of the infant car seat to the base.

20. A method of installing an infant car seat according to claim 19, further comprising the step of engaging a latch mechanism to secure the lock-off arm in the lock-off position.