Child restraining seat

• US 3,992,028 A
• Filed: 11/01/1974
• Issued: 11/16/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Abe, Fumiyuki, Fukuda, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US05/520,341
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150 AB, 180/82 C, 297/216, 297/385, 297/390, 297/254
• US Class Current: 280/728.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• 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 2/283 suspended
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2833 back-rest suspended
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01524 using electric switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

A child restraining seat is hung securely on a back portion of a vehicle occupant seat that has mounted therein a seating sensor, such that a child, if restrained to the child seat, will not close or energize the seating sensor. The seating sensor is circuited in a trigger circuit of an air bag corresponding to the occupant seat such that the air bag will not be inflated to its active position unless said seating sensor is energized.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle having an occupant seat and a trigger circuit of an air bag that corresponds to said occupant seat, said trigger circuit including a seating sensor which is energized when an occupant sits on a seat portion of said occupant seat, to shift said trigger circuit into a condition wherein said trigger circuit will inflate said air bag in collision of the motor vehicle, the improvement comprising a child restraining seat provided with means whereby said child restraining seat is detachably hung securely on a back portion of said occupant seat such that said seating sensor is kept deenergized by seating of a child on said child restraining seat, a first gas producer circuited in said trigger circuit in series with said seating sensor and second gas producer circuited in said trigger circuit such that said second gas producer will be actuated in the collision of said seating sensor, said first and second gas producers being constructed and arranged with respect to said air bag such that said air bag will be inflated to its active position when both of said first and second gas producers are actuated, but said air bag will be inflated to such an inflating position to prevent the child seating on said child restraining seat from being injured upon the inflation of said air bag by the second gas producer and from hitting on an inner structure of the motor vehicle.

2. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means takes the form of a pair of hooks secured to a back portion of said child seat and hung securely on the back portion of said occupant seat and a belt system at one end anchored securely to the back portion of said child seat and at opposite end detachably connected to the back portion of said occupant seat, said belt system being extending on the back portion of said occupant seat such that said hooks are prevented from being detached from the back portion of said occupant seat.

3. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said child seat comprises a child restraint crotch strap.

4. In a motor vehicle having an occupant seat and a trigger circuit of an air bag that corresponds to said occupant seat, said trigger circuit including a seating sensor which is energized when an occupant sits on a seat portion of said occupant seat, to shift said trigger circuit into a condition wherein said trigger circuit will inflate said air bag in collision of the motor vehicle, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of gas producers, a first group of which is circuited in said trigger circuit in series with said seating sensor and a second group of which is circuited in said trigger circuit such that said second group of said gas producers will be actuated in the collision of the motor vehicle irrespective of energization of said seating sensor, said gas producers being constructed and arranged with respect to said air bag such that said air bag will be inflated to its active position when all of said gas producers are actuated, but said air bag will be inflated to an intermediate inflating position upon the inflation of said air bag by said second group of said gas producers.

5. In a motor vehicle having an occupant seat and a trigger circuit of an air bag that corresponds to said occupant seat, said trigger circuit including a seating sensor which is energized when an occupant sits on a seat portion of said occupant seat and a deceleration sensor which is energized in collision of the motor vehicle, the improvement comprising:

a first gas producer circuited in series with said seating sensor and said deceleration sensor and a second gas producer circuited in said trigger circuit such that said second gas producer will be actuated in the collision of the motor vehicle irrespective of energization of said seating sensor, said first and second gas producers being constructed and arranged with respect to said air bag such that said air bag will be inflated to its active position when both of said first and second gas producers are actuated, but said air bag will be inflated to an intermediate inflating position upon the inflation of said air bag by said second gas producer.