Vehicle anchor system for juvenile seat base

• US 6,863,345 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kain, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, STEPHEN A
• Application Number:
  US10/074,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20030151286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/256.13, 297/256.14, 297/256.16, 297/253, 297/485, 297/468, 297/182, 248/503.1
• US Class Current: 297/256.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2824 part of the base being supported by the vehicle frame B60N2/289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles

Abstract

A seat mount is provided for use with a vehicle seat and anchor mounts provided in or near the vehicle seat. The seat mount includes a base for placement on the vehicle seat and a vehicle anchor system adapted to be coupled to the anchor mounts. The base includes a pair of openings for receiving a portion of the vehicle anchor system. The vehicle anchor system includes an anchor belt adapted to be coupled to the anchor mounts. The anchor belt includes a strap having a central portion, opposite end portions, and a clasp coupled to each end portion and adapted to be coupled to one of the anchor mounts. The anchor belt is threaded through the openings to position the seat in a rearwardly facing anchored position on the vehicle seat. The vehicle anchor system also includes a leash coupled to the base and to the central portion of the anchor belt.

Claims

1. A seat mount for use with both a vehicle seat and anchor mounts provided in or near the vehicle seat, the seat mount comprising

a base having sides and adapted to be coupled to a human juvenile seat,

an anchor belt including a strap, opposite end portions, and a clasp coupled to each of the end portions and adapted to be coupled to one of the anchor mounts,

an elongated leash coupled at one end to the base and at another end to the anchor belt between sides of the base and wherein the leash is flexible and allows the anchor belt to move.

2. The seat mount of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a pair of openings and the anchor belt is threaded through the openings to position the base in an anchored position.

3. The seat mount of claim 2, wherein the base further includes a base bottom, a front portion coupled to the base bottom, a first side wall extending upwardly from the base bottom along one edge of the front portion, and a second side wall extending upwardly from the base bottom along an opposite edge of the front portion, and wherein each of the side walls includes one of the openings.

4. The seat mount of claim 3, wherein the base further includes a slot through each of the walls side for communication with one of the respective openings.

5. The seat mount of claim 2, wherein the strap includes a central portion between each of the end portions, the base includes a base bottom and side walls coupled to the base bottom, and the leash is coupled to the central portion of the strap and to the base bottom of the base.

6. The seat mount of claim 5, wherein the base bottom includes a top surface adapted for communication with a juvenile seat and a bottom surface adapted for communication with a vehicle seat and wherein the leash is coupled to the top surface of the base bottom.

7. The seat mount of claim 5, wherein the base bottom includes a top surface adapted for communication with a juvenile seat and a bottom surface adapted for communication with a vehicle seat and wherein the leash is coupled to the bottom surface of the base bottom.

8. The seat mount of claim 7, wherein the base bottom further includes an access slot formed to receive a portion of the leash therethrough.

9. The seat mount of claim 1, further including a coupler coupling the leash to the base.

10. The seat mount of claim 9, wherein the coupler is a screw.

11. The seat mount of claim 9, wherein the coupler is a rivet.

12. The seat mount of claim 1, wherein the base further includes an anchor belt surface formed to extend between the openings of the base and wherein the anchor belt lies adjacent the surface when the anchor belt is in the anchored position.

13. The seat mount of claim 12, wherein the base bottom includes a storage compartment configured to receive the anchor belt in a stowed position when the anchor belt is not threaded through the openings, and wherein the leash remains coupled to the base bottom when the anchor belt is moved between an anchored position where the anchor belt is threaded through the openings and the stowed position where the anchor belt is received within the storage compartment.

14. The seat mount of claim 13, wherein the storage compartment is positioned adjacent the anchor belt surface.

15. The seat mount of claim 14, wherein the storage compartment is positioned between a right portion and a left portion of the anchor belt surface.

16. The seat mount of claim 1 wherein the leash is flexible and allows the anchor belt to move from side to side.

17. A seat mount is provided for use with a juvenile seat, a passenger vehicle seat, and anchor mounts provided in or near the passenger vehicle seat, the seat mount comprising

a base having a base bottom, a first side wall extending upwardly from the bottom and a second side wall extending upwardly from the bottom, an opening formed in each of the side walls, and a storage compartment positioned between the side walls,

a vehicle anchor system coupled to the base bottom and having at least one connector portion shaped to couple to the anchor mounts in an anchored position, the system being movable between the anchored position where a portion of the system is received through each of the openings to position the base in a rearwardly facing position on the vehicle seat and a stowed position where the system is disconnected from the anchor mounts and a portion of the system is received within the storage compartment, the vehicle anchor system, including the portion of the system received through each of the openings, remaining coupled to the base during movement between the anchored position and the stowed position.

18. The seat mount of claim 17, wherein the vehicle anchor system includes an anchor belt and a leash coupled to the base at one end and coupled to the anchor belt at another end, the anchor belt being threaded through the openings of the base to position the system in the anchored position.

19. The seat mount of claim 18, wherein the anchor belt includes a strap having a central portion and opposite end portions and a clasp coupled to each end of the portions and adapted to be coupled to one of the anchor mounts.

20. The seat mount of claim 19, wherein the leash is coupled to the central portion of the strap.

21. The seat mount of claim 18, wherein the leash is coupled to a top surface of the base bottom.

22. The seat mount o claim 21, wherein the base includes an anchor belt surface positioned to extend between the openings of the base for placement of the anchor belt thereon when the system is in the anchored position, and further wherein the storage compartment is formed in the front portion of the base and is positioned adjacent the anchor belt surface.

23. The seat mount of claim 17, wherein the leash is coupled to a bottom surface of the base.

24. The seat mount of claim 23, wherein the base includes an access slot and a portion of the leash is received through the access slot when the vehicle anchor system is in the anchored position and the stowed position.

25. The seat mount of claim 23, wherein the base includes a right anchor belt surface and a left anchor belt surface each positioned between the openings of the base for placement of the anchor belt thereon when the system is in the anchored position, and further wherein the storage compartment is positioned between the right and the left anchor belt surfaces.

26. A seat mount is provided for use with both a vehicle seat and anchor mounts provided in or near the vehicle seat, the seat mount comprising

a base having a pair of openings,

an anchor belt having connectors for coupling to the anchor mounts, the anchor belt being threaded through the openings to position the seat in an anchored position, and

a flexible leash having an end coupled to the base and another end fixedly coupled to a portion of the anchor belt inside the base, the flexible leash enabling the anchor belt to move laterally through the openings relative to the base so that the anchor belt is adapted to be coupled to anchor mounts spaced apart by different distances.

27. A seat mount for use with both a vehicle seat and anchor mounts provided in or near the vehicle seat, the seat mount comprising

a base having a first surface shaped to abut a vehicle seat and a second surface having human juvenile seat coupling elements for mounting a human juvenile seat to the base,

an anchor belt including a strap, opposite end portions, and a clasp coupled to each end portion and adapted to be coupled to one of the anchor mounts, and

a substantially planar leash with one side abuttingly coupled to the base and the same side abuttingly coupled to the anchor belt.