Child automotive safety seat with integral seat belt tensioner

• US 6,779,842 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James R. Mcneff
• Original Assignee: James R. Mcneff
• Inventors: McNeff, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARRETT, ERIKA P
• Application Number:
  US10/308,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20030127894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/463.1, 297/463.2, 297/468, 297/493, 297/483, 297/484, 297/216.17
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle

Abstract

This invention provides a child safety seat with an integral seat belt tensioner for properly securing the seat to the passenger seat of an automotive vehicle by taking up the slack in the seat belt after it has been fastened through the child seat. The tensioner pulls or pushes the seat belt so that the few inches of slack that usually exist are eliminated by the tensioner. The safety seat is adapted to have internal space, either in its back and/or below the seat, to accommodate the tensioner and the belt movement so that the controls, tensioner, and/or other moving parts are out of the reach of the a child in the seat. A preferred version of the tensioner includes motor and gearing to move a belt holder up and down generally along the rear of the safety seat, for tightening and loosening the belt, respectively.

Claims

1. A child safety seat with integral seat belt tensioner for automotive vehicles comprising:

a child safety seat frame having an interior space;

a tensioning system within said interior space comprising a seat belt holder adapted to receive a seat belt, the seat belt holder being moveable in the safety seat frame to a first position wherein the seat belt is tightened relative to the safety seat frame and to a second position wherein the seat belt is loosened relative to the safety seat frame, wherein said tensioning system does not comprise means for winding the seat belt on said belt, and wherein said tensioning system comprises a cam member adapted to rotate to push against and move the seat belt relative to said frame.

2. A child safety seat with integral seat belt tensioner for automotive vehicles comprising:

a child safety seat frame having left and right sides, said sides each including an opening;

a routing mechanism for routing the seat belt between the openings in said sides; and

an adjustment mechanism for slidably moving said routing mechanism within said openings, said adjustment mechanism being connected between said frame and said routing mechanism;

wherein each of said openings is a nominally vertically disposed elongated slot and the adjustment mechanism is adapted to raise and lower the routing mechanism in the elongated slots;

wherein mechanism for routing the seat belt includes a seat belt receiving tube slideably received within said openings.

3. A child safety seat according to claim 2 wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a reversible motor and a gear assembly.

4. A child safety seat according to claim 3 wherein said gear assembly includes a pinon gear operatively meshed with a ring gear, a drive screw fixedly connected to the ring gear and a drive screw follower having a first end and a second end, the first end being operatively threaded onto the drive screw and the second end being fixedly connected to said seat belt receiving tube.

5. A child safety seat according to claim 3 wherein said motor receives electrical power from the vehicle and is reversibly controlled by an electrical switch.

6. A child safety seat according to claim 5 wherein the electrical power is provided by connecting said seat to the vehicle'"'"'s accessory receptacle.

7. A child safety seat according to claim 2 wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a manual actuator removably connected to the drive screw.

8. A child safety seat according to claim 7 wherein said manual actuator is a hand crank.

9. A child safety seat according to claim 2 wherein said seat belt receiving tube is curved to minimize potential for seat belt abrasion or stress concentration.

10. A child safety seat according to claim 2 wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a manual actuator, gear assembly, and locking mechanism.

12. A child safety seat according to claim 10 wherein said gear assembly includes a drive screw fixedly connected to the ring gear and a drive screw follower having a first end and a second end, the first end being operatively threaded onto the drive screw and the second end being fixedly connected to said belt receiving tube.

13. A child safety seat according to claim 10 wherein said belt receiving tube is curved to minimize potential for seat belt abrasion or stress concentration.

11. A child safety seat according to claim 11 wherein said manual actuator is a hand crank.