Child safety seat

• US 6,135,553 A
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Britax Excelsior Limited
• Original Assignee: Britax Excelsior Limited, Britax Nordiska Barn AB
• Inventors: Bell, Robert Stephen, Lovie, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US09/452,246
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/361.1, 297/366, 297/353, 297/284.1, 297/284.7
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2851 provided with head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2881 Upholstery, padded or cushioned members therefor

Abstract

A child safety seat for a motor vehicle comprising a seat body (10) having a back portion (16) and a seat portion (14), an upper back support (34) mounted on the back portion (16) for movement in a direction towards and away from the seat portion (14). The upper back support (34) is movable relative to the back portion (16) and the angle between the upper back support (34) and the seat portion (14) decreases as the upper back support (34) moves towards the seat portion (14).

Claims

1. A child safety seat for a motor vehicle comprising a seat body having a back portion and a seat portion, an upper back support mounted on the back portion for movement in a direction towards and away from the seat portion, a camming mechanism comprising a cam surface on the seat body and a cam follower on the upper back support for varying the position of the upper back support relative to the back portion, said camming mechanism coupling the upper back support to the back portion so that an angle between the upper back support and the seat portion decreases as the upper back support moves towards the seat portion.

2. A child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein a head support is secured fast with the upper back support.

3. A child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein the head support comprises a central portion and side wings spaced apart from one another by a distance less than the width of the back portion.

4. A child safety seat according to claim 1, further comprising a latch lever operative in a first position to prevent movement of the upper back support and operative in a second position to allow movement of the upper back support.

5. A child safety seat according to claim 4, wherein the latch lever carries a cam formation arranged to engage with a complementary formation on the back portion when the latch lever is in its first position.

6. A child safety seat according to claim 5, further comprising a harness including two shoulder straps each projecting through a respective slot in the upper back support, and an inhibiting mechanism for resisting movement of the latch lever from its first position to its second position when the harness is fastened.

7. A child safety seat according to claim 6, wherein the inhibiting mechanism comprises guides for the shoulder straps.

8. A child safety seat according to claim 4, further comprising a harness including two shoulder straps each projecting through a respective slot in the upper back support, and an inhibiting mechanism for resisting movement of the latch lever from its first position to its second position when the harness is fastened.

9. A child safety seat according to claim 8, wherein the inhibiting mechanism comprises guides for the shoulder straps.

10. A child safety seat for a motor vehicle comprising a seat body having a back portion and a seat portion, a back support having an upper end and a lower end, a drive mechanism coupling the back support to the back portion operative to move the back support between a position parallel to the back portion and a position with its upper end at a location on the back portion above the seat portion, its lower end at a location on the seat portion in front of the back portion, so that an angle between the upper back support and the seat portion is constrained to decrease as the upper end of the upper back support moves towards the seat portion.

11. A child safety seat according to claim 10, wherein a head support is secured fast with the upper back support.

12. A child safety seat according to claim 11, wherein the head support comprises a central portion and side wings spaced apart from one another by a distance less than the width of the back portion.

13. A child safety seat for a motor vehicle comprising a seat body having a back portion and a seat portion, an upper back support mounted on the back portion for movement in a direction towards and away from the seat portion, a drive mechanism coupling the upper back support to the back portion for varying the position of the upper back support relative to the back portion so that an angle between the upper back support and the seat portion decreases as the upper back support moves towards the seat portion, and a latch lever operative in a first position to prevent movement of the upper back support and operative in a second position to allow movement of the upper back support.

14. A child safety seat according to claim 13, wherein the latch lever carries a cam formation arranged to engage with a complementary formation on the back portion when the latch lever is in its first position.

15. A child safety seat according to claim 14, further comprising a harness including two shoulder straps each projecting through a respective slot in the upper back support, and an inhibiting mechanism for resisting movement of the latch lever from its first position to its second position when the harness is fastened.

16. A child safety seat according to claim 15, wherein the inhibiting mechanism comprises guides for the shoulder straps.

17. A child safety seat according to claim 13, further comprising a harness including two shoulder straps each projecting through a respective slot in the upper back support, and an inhibiting mechanism for resisting movement of the latch lever from its first position to its second position when the harness is fastened.

18. A child safety seat according to claim 17, wherein the inhibiting mechanism comprises guides for the shoulder straps.