Child safety restraint

• US 4,067,608 A
• Filed: 11/26/1975
• Issued: 01/10/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Heinrich F. Von Wimmersperg
• Original Assignee: Heinrich F. Von Wimmersperg
• Inventors: Von Wimmersperg, Heinrich F.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/635,653
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250, 297/DIG. 4, 297/384, 297/390, 297/216, 108/125, 280/744, 280/745, 280/748
• US Class Current: 297/216.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2824 part of the base being supported by the vehicle frame B60N2/289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2839 having a front guard or barrier
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing

Abstract

A child restraining device adapted to be secured on a vehicle seat and having a pair of legs adapted to engage the floor structure of the vehicle. The legs, in combination with a conventional seat belt, are designed to retain the device in a stable position on the vehicle seat with the child disposed in an inclined supine position facing either forwardly or rearwardly. The device includes a shield located in front of the child. The arrangement is designed to reduce the probability of serious head or other injury to a child in the event of a collision.

Claims

1. In a vehicle of the type having a seat defined by a seat cushion and a backrest and also having a rigid floor structure, a child restraint device to protect the child in the event of an impact comprising a walled enclosure in which the child is adapted to be positioned in a supine position, said enclosure including a shape retaining shell, means on said enclosure for preventing the child therein from being thrown therefrom in the event of vehicle impact, said shell being disposed with a lower portion thereof supported on the seat cushion so that the spine of the child therein extends generally longitudinally of the vehicle and is inclined to the horizontal, a pair of support legs connected at their upper ends to the enclosure adjacent each side thereof and having a support position wherein they extend downwardly from the enclosure to engage the floor structure of the vehicle at their lower ends forwardly of the vehicle seat, restraining belt means anchored to the floor structure of the vehicle adjacent the rear of the vehicle seat and extending therefrom in an upward and forward direction and connected at its upper end with said enclosure rearwardly of the connection between said support legs and enclosure and means for preventing said legs from swinging in a direction forwardly and upwardly relative to the enclosure substantially beyond said support position, said restraining belt means when tightened cooperating with said legs to urge said enclosure downwardly against said seat cushion, said support legs and said belt restraining means being arranged relative to each other so that the plane extending through the connection points of the belt means with the vehicle floor structure and the enclosure and the plane extending through the lower ends of said legs and the connection between the legs and the enclosure are inclined towards each other and intersect at an axis which is disposed horizontally above the center of gravity of the enclosure with the child positioned therein whereby any tendency for the enclosure to tilt sidewise or for the upper end thereof to tilt downwardly and forwardly about the connection of the belt means and enclosure as a result of a collision is resisted by the joint effect of said legs and belt means.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the enclosure is disposed on the vehicle seat such that the spine of the child is disposed at an angle to the horizontal of between about 30°

and 75°

.

3. The combination called for in claim 2 wherein said legs are pivotally connected to the enclosure.

4. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said legs are connected to a forwardly facing portion of the enclosure.

5. The combination called for in claim 3 wherein said means for preventing swinging movement of said legs comprise abutment means on said enclosure engageable with said legs for preventing pivotal movement of the legs in said forward direction.

6. The combination called for in claim 5 wherein said legs are pivotable from support said position in a rearward direction.

7. The combination called for in claim 3 including means pivotally biasing said legs in a rearward direction.

8. The combination called for in claim 3 wherein said means for preventing swinging movement of said legs comprise means on the vehicle engageable with the lower ends of the legs.

9. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said enclosure has a bottom wall and an end wall and including means for optionally connecting the upper ends of said legs to said end wall for arranging the enclosure in a forwardly facing direction or with the bottom wall for arranging the enclosure in a rearwardly facing direction.

10. The combination called for in claim 2 wherein the legs are dimensioned to support the enclosure in a forwardly facing position inclined upward in a rearward direction.

11. The combination called for in claim 2 wherein the legs are dimensioned to support the enclosure in a rearwardly facing position inclined upward in a forward direction.

12. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said legs are formed at least in part of a generally nonresilient material capable of plastic deformation when a force tending to collapse the legs exceeds a predetermined amount.

13. The combination called for in claim 10 wherein the enclosure is disposed in said forwardly facing inclined position with its lower forward end supported on the seat cushion, its upper rear end positioned against the back rest of the seat and the forward upper end supported by said legs.

14. The combination called for in claim 11 wherein the enclosure is positioned in said rearwardly facing inclined position with its lower rear end supported on the seat cushion and its forward upper end supported by said legs.

15. The combination called for in claim 14 wherein said child restraining means comprises a shield mounted on said enclosure in a position extending over the lap and in front of the head and chest of a child therein, said shield projecting at one end upwardly and outwardly of said enclosure and being dimensioned such that in the event of a front end collision wherein the enclosure tends to rotate upwardly and rearwardly, the projecting end of the shield will project rearwardly of the vehicle a greater extent than the head of a child in the enclosure whereby to prevent impact of the child'"'"'s head with the back rest of the seat.

16. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein said child restraining means comprises a shield mounted on the enclosure in a position to extend over the lap and in front of the head and chest of a child within the enclosure.

17. The combination called for in claim 16 wherein said shield and in the interior of said enclosure are cushioned with an energy absorbing material having low elastic memory.

18. The combination called for in claim 16 wherein the shield is attached to the enclosure for ready removal therefrom.

19. The combination called for in claim 16 wherein the shield is attached to the enclosure by means which permit adjustment in the location of the shield on the enclosure to accommodate for children of different sizes.

20. The combination called for in claim 1 including means for releasably mounting the legs on said enclosure.

21. The combination called for in claim 1 including means on said enclosure located at a plurality of points spaced longitudinally of the enclosure, each adapted for releasably mounting the legs thereon.