Child safety seat

• US 6,199,949 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric S. Dasilva
• Original Assignee: Eric S. Dasilva
• Inventors: DaSilva, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US09/629,921
• Time in Patent Office: 225 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/256.12, 297/256.16
• US Class Current: 297/256.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2857 characterised by the peculiar orientation of the child B60N2/2869 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2869 rotatable about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/022 the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a vertical axis

Abstract

A child safety seat having a child seat hingedly mounted on a seat support for use in a vehicle. The child seat includes a seat portion and a back portion with interconnecting sides, pivotally mounted on a seat support, whereby the child seat can be pivoted in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction relative to the seat support about either one of two spaced apart axes of rotation. The arrangement is such that with the seat support centrally positioned on the rear seat of a vehicle, the child seat can be pivoted at least 90° relative to the seat support so that the child seat is positioned closely adjacent to and facing the door opening of the vehicle to provide for maximum ease in placing a child in the child seat. The child seat is provided with a harness to secure the child in place therein, and a latch or locking mechanism is provided to automatically lock the child seat relative to the seat support in the operative position. A manual release is operatively connected to the locking mechanism for effecting the unlatching of the child seat relative to the seat support to permit the rotation of the child seat about one of the pivoting axes.

Claims

1. A child safety seat comprising:

a seat support,

a child'"'"'s seat,

a pair of spaced apart hinge assemblies for securing said child'"'"'s seat to said seat support, and

each of said hinge assemblies including a removable hinge pin whereby said child'"'"'s seat is rendered pivotally mounted relative to said seat support upon the removal of one of said removable hinge pins about an axis of rotation defined by the unremoved hinge pin.

2. The child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 1 and including a latching assembly for locking said child'"'"'s seat relative to said seat support in the operative position of said child'"'"'s seat.

3. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 2 and including a harness for securing a child in said safety seat.

4. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 2 wherein said latching assembly includes a latching hook pivotally connected to said seat support,

said seat support including a base portion having an opening therein,

said latching hook extending through said opening,

said child'"'"'s seat including a seat portion,

a bar catch connected to the underside of said seat portion disposed so as to be in interlocking relationship with said latching hook in the operative position,

and a release mechanism operatively connected to said latching hook to effect the unlocking of said latching hook relative to said bar catch.

5. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 4 and including a spring operatively connected to said latching hook for normally biasing said latching hook toward a locking position.

6. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 4 wherein said release mechanism includes a pull rod which extends forwardly of said seat support whereby the extended end of said pull rod defines a handle.

7. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said hinge assembles includes a series of spaced apart hinge loops connected to said seat support and said child'"'"'s seat, whereby said hinge loops connected to said seat support are disposed in axial alignment with said hinge loops connected to said child'"'"'s seat in the operative position, and said removable hinge pin extending through said aligned hinge loops in each of said hinge assemblies.

8. A child safety seat as defined in claim 1 wherein said seat support comprises an integral part of a vehicle.

9. A child'"'"'s safety seat for use in a moving vehicle comprising:

a seat support having a base portion and a connected back,

a child'"'"'s seat having a seat portion, a back portion and opposed sides interconnected with said seat portion and back portion,

means for pivotally connecting said child'"'"'s seat relative to said seat support,

said means including a pair of spaced apart hinges,

each of said hinges including a first series of spaced apart hinge loops connected along the opposed edges of said back portion of said child'"'"'s seat, and

a complementary series of spaced apart hinge loops connected to said back of said seat support whereby said complementary series of hinge loops are disposed in axial alignment with said first series of loops in the operative position of said child'"'"'s seat,

a removable hinge pin disposed in said first series of hinge loops disposed in alignment with said complementary series of hinge loops,

and a latching mechanism for locking said child'"'"'s seat relative to said seat support.

10. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 9 wherein said seat support and child seat are rendered readily portable.

11. A child'"'"'s safety seat for use in a vehicle comprising:

a seat support including a base and a connected back,

means for securing said seat support to an interior portion of a vehicle,

a child seat having a seat portion, a connected back portion and opposed sides interconnected to said seat portion and back portion,

said back portion having opposed edges,

a pair of spaced apart hinges connecting said back portion of said child'"'"'s seat to said back of said seat support whereby the axis of rotation of each of said hinges is substantially coincidental to said opposed edges of said back portion,

a removable hinge pin defining the axis of rotation of each of said hinges, whereby the removable hinge pin permits said child'"'"'s seat to be rotated relative to said seat support about an axis of rotation defined by the unremoved hinge pin and a locking latch assembly for locking said child'"'"'s seat to said seat support in the operative position.

12. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 11 wherein said locking latch assembly includes:

a pair of spaced apart latch hooks pivotally connected to said seat support,

said pair of latching hooks extending through said base,

a spring means biasing each of said latch hooks toward its respective latching position,

a bar catch extending transversely on the underside of said seat portion,

said bar catch being disposed so as to be in interlocking relationship with said latching hooks in the operative position of said car seat,

a latch release connected to said latching hook,

said latch release extending forwardly of said base of said seat support whereby the extended portion of said latch release defines a handle by which said latch release may be actuated.

13. A child'"'"'s safety seat as defined in claim 12 and including a harness associated with said child'"'"'s seat for securing a child in said child'"'"'s seat.