Buckle latch mechanism for infant car seat

• US 6,050,640 A
• Filed: 10/22/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evenflo Company Incorporated (Goodbaby International Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Evenflo Company Incorporated (Goodbaby International Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Gibson, William R., Meeker, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US09/177,177
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/464
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence

Abstract

A buckle latch mechanism for an infant carrier including a buckle latch mechanism for an infant carrier. The buckle latch mechanism includes a slot formed in a frame adjacent the foot end of an infant carrier essentially transverse to the side walls. A generally rigid plastic latch is reciprocally mounted in the frame forwardly of the slot. The latch has a rearwardly extending lower extent beneath the frame movable from a locking position beneath the slot to an unlocked position forwardly of the slot. The latch has an operator controlled upper extent above the frame movable between a locked orientation in proximity to the slot and an unlocked postioned forwardly thereof. The latch has a vertically extending intermediate extent between the lower extent and the upper extent. The intermediate extent has a cylindrical aperture therethrough. A horizontal post is fixedly positioned beneath the upper surface of the frame. The post has a rearward end adjacent to the slot and a forward end at an adjacent portion of the frame. A spring is included and has a rearward end in contact with the intermediate portion of the lock urging the lock rearwardly with the lower extent into the locking orientation. The spring has a forward end providing an abutment surface for the transmission of force to urge the lock rearwardly.

Claims

1. A new and improved buckle latch mechanism for receiving and retaining a tongue of a belt assembly of an infant carrier comprising, in combination:

an essentially rigid frame having an upper surface for receiving padding and a child thereon, a lower surface for being supported on a recipient area and having a foot end and a head end with generally parallel side walls therebetween;

a belt assembly for retaining a child safely positioned within the frame, the belt assembly having a lower free end with a rigid tongue formed with an aperture therethrough adapted to be selectively received and retained by a buckle latch mechanism; and

a buckle latch mechanism comprising a slot formed in the frame adjacent the foot end essentially transverse to the side walls, a generally rigid plastic latch reciprocally mounted in the frame forwardly of the slot, the latch having a rearwardly extending lower extent beneath the frame movable from a locking position beneath the slot, to an unlocked position forwardly of the slot, the rearward end of the lower extent being angled whereby downward movement of a tongue thereagainst will move the latch forwardly, the latch having an operator controlled upper extent above the frame movable between a locked orientation in proximity to the slot and an unlocked position forwardly thereof, the latch having a vertically extending intermediate extent between the lower extent and the upper extent, the intermediate extent having a cylindrical aperture therethrough;

a horizontal post fixedly positioned beneath the upper surface of the frame having a rearward end adjacent to the slot and a forward end at an adjacent portion of the frame;

a coil spring having a rearward end in contact with the intermediate extent of the latch urging the latch rearwardly with the lower extent into a locking orientation, the spring having a forward end providing an abutment surface for transmission of a force to urge the latch rearwardly but to allow movement of the latch forwardly against the action of the spring upon an operator'"'"'s forward motion of the upper portion of the latch.

2. A buckle latch mechanism for an infant carrier comprising:

a buckle latch mechanism comprising a slot formed in a frame adjacent a foot end of an infant carrier essentially transverse to side walls of the infant carrier, a generally rigid plastic latch reciprocally mounted in the frame forwardly of the slot, the latch having a rearwardly extending lower extent beneath the frame movable from a locking position beneath the slot, to an unlocked position forwardly of the slot, the latch having an operator controlled upper extent above the frame movable between a locked orientation in proximity to the slot and an unlocked position forwardly thereof, the latch having a vertically extending intermediate extent between the lower extent and the upper extent, the intermediate extent having a cylindrical aperture therethrough;

a horizontal post fixedly positioned beneath the upper surface of the frame having a rearward end adjacent to the slot and a forward end at an adjacent portion of the frame;

a spring having a rearward end in contact with the intermediate extent of the latch urging the latch rearwardly with the lower extent into the locking orientation, the spring having a forward end providing an abutment surface for transmission of a force to urge the latch rearwardly.

3. The mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein a rearward end of the lower extent is angled whereby downward movement of a tongue thereagainst when inserted in the slot will move the latch forwardly.

4. A buckle latch mechanism for an infant carrier comprising:

a buckle latch mechanism comprising a slot formed in a frame adjacent a foot end of an infant carrier, a generally rigid latch reciprocally mounted in the frame forwardly of the slot, the latch having a rearwardly extending lower extent beneath the frame movable from a locking position beneath the slot, to an unlocked position forwardly of the slot, the latch having an operator controlled upper extent accessible from above the frame and movable between a locked orientation in a first position relative to the slot and an unlocked orientation at a second position forwardly thereof, the latch having an intermediate extent connecting the lower extent and the upper extent;

a spring positioned to urge the latch rearwardly for biasing the lower extent into the locking position beneath the slot.

5. The mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein a rearward end of the lower extent is angled whereby downward movement of a tongue thereagainst when inserted in the slot will move the latch forwardly.

6. The mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein the intermediate extent has an aperture therethrough, further comprising a post positioned below the upper surface of the frame having a rearward end positioned toward the slot and a forward end positioned away from the slot, the post passing through the aperture in the intermediate extent.