Swivel child car seat

• US 6,431,647 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Combi Corporation (Matsuura Family)
• Original Assignee: Combi Corporation (Matsuura Family)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Kojiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, STEPHEN A
• Application Number:
  US09/741,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20010004162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/254, 297/256.1, 297/256.12, 297/256.16, 297/240, 297/344.22, 297/344.21, 297/344.24, 248/415, 248/425, 292/54, 292/49, 292/45
• US Class Current: 297/256.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2869 rotatable about a vertical axis

Abstract

A swivel child car seat comprises a base having a bottom part, a disk-shaped swivel pedestal mounted on the bottom part of the base for free turning, and a seat body supported on the swivel pedestal. The swivel pedestal is fitted in a guide groove formed in the bottom part so as to move forwardly and rearwardly along the guide groove. The swivel pedestal is held fixedly in place by a block fitted in the guide groove.

Claims

1. A swivel child car seat, comprising:

a base having an elongate guide groove that is open at one end and has a projection at another end;

a disk-shaped swivel pedestal mounted on said base for turning in said guide groove and sliding relative to said base along said guide groove, said disk-shaped swivel pedestal having a recess that is complementary to said projection such that said disk-shaped swivel pedestal is restrained from turning when said projection is received within said recess; and

a seat body mounted on said disk-shaped swivel pedestal.

2. The swivel child car seat according to claim 1, wherein said projection has a concave, circular end surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to that of a circumferential surface of said disk-shaped pedestal.

3. The swivel child car seat according to claim 2, further comprising a holding block that is to be inserted into the open end of said guide groove for pressing said disk-shaped swivel pedestal against said another end of said guide groove.

4. The swivel child car seat according to claim 3, wherein said holding block is slidable within said guide groove, and further comprising a positioning mechanism to selectively hold said holding block at a predetermined location-within said guide groove.

5. The swivel child car seat according to claim 4,

wherein said holding block is slidable within said guide groove between a rear position at which said holding block is in contact with said disk-shaped swivel pedestal while said projection is received within said recess of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal, and a front position at which said holding block is in contact with said disk-shaped swivel pedestal while said projection is not received within said recess of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal, and

wherein said positioning mechanism is to selectively hold said holding block at either the rear position or the front position.

6. The swivel child car seat according to claim 5, wherein an end of said holding block that is to contact said disk-shaped swivel pedestal has a concave, circular surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to that of a circumferential surface of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal.

7. The swivel child car seat according to claim 6, further comprising a locking mechanism interposed between said seat body and said base for interlocking said seat body with said base.

8. The swivel child car seat according to claim 7, wherein said locking mechanism is to restrain said seat body from turning and sliding relative to said base.

9. The swivel child car seat according to claim 8, wherein said locking mechanism includes a latch disposed on a side surface of said base and provided with an opening, and a pin supported by said seat body and capable of being received within said opening of said latch.

10. The swivel child car seat according to claim 1, further comprising a holding block that is to be inserted into the open end of said guide groove for pressing said disk-shaped swivel pedestal against said another end of said guide groove.

11. The swivel child car seat according to claim 10, wherein said holding block is slidable within said guide groove, and further comprising a positioning mechanism to selectively hold said holding block at a predetermined location within said guide groove.

12. The swivel child car seat according to claim 11,

wherein said holding block is slidable within said guide groove between a rear position at which said holding block is in contact with said disk-shaped swivel pedestal while said projection is received within said recess of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal, and a front position at which said holding block is in contact with said disk-shaped swivel pedestal while said projection is not received within said recess of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal, and

wherein said positioning mechanism is to selectively hold said holding block at either the rear position or the front position.

13. The swivel child car seat according to claim 12, wherein an end of said holding block that is to contact said disk-shaped swivel pedestal has a concave, circular surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to that of a circumferential surface of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal.

14. The swivel child car seat according to claim 10, wherein an end of said holding block that is to contact said disk-shaped swivel pedestal has a concave, circular surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to that of a circumferential surface of said disk-shaped swivel pedestal.

15. The swivel child car seat according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism interposed between said seat body and said base for interlocking said seat body with said base.

16. The swivel child car seat according to claim 15, wherein said locking mechanism is to restrain said seat body from turning and sliding relative to said base.

17. The swivel child car seat according to claim 16, wherein said locking mechanism includes a latch disposed on a side surface of said base and provided with an opening, and a pin supported by said seat body and capable of being received within said opening of said latch.

18. The swivel child car seat according to claim 15, wherein said locking mechanism includes a latch disposed on a side surface of said base and provided with an opening, and a pin supported by said seat body and capable of being received within said opening of said latch.

19. The swivel child car seat according to claim 15, wherein

said locking mechanism includes a base-side element on a rear portion of said base, and hooks supported by said seat body, said hooks being capable of engaging said base-side element.