Half fold belt tensioner

• US 7,216,932 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Britax Romer Kindersicherheit GmbH
• Original Assignee: Britax Romer Kindersicherheit GmbH
• Inventors: Emmert, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US10/981,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20060091709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 297/254, 297/255, 297/256.16, 297/250.1, 297/464, 297/216.11
• US Class Current: 297/256.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2878 the back-rest being inclinable

Abstract

A child safety seat having a base member for being mounted on a vehicle seat and secured in place in a conventional manner by lap and shoulder straps of the vehicle'"'"'s adult seat belt. A child support in the child seat includes a squab attached to a base member and a back pivotally connected to the squab by a pivot axis. The base member has two L-shaped side members, each having a lap belt guide and a clampable shoulder belt guide between the pivot rod and upper bar.

Claims

1. A child safety seat for securing to a vehicle'"'"'s adult seat by its adult seat belt, the child safety seat comprising:

(a) a generally L shaped base member having a squab portion for resting on a squab of the adult seat, a back portion for abutting against a back of the adult seat, and guide means defining a strap path for the adult seat belt to secure the base member to the adult seat;

(b) a child support having a child support squab for resting on said squab portion and a child support back for abutting against said back portion, wherein one of said child support squab or child support back is attached to be fixed to the base member while the other of said child support squab or child support back is pivotable, relative to the fixed one, between a folded position facilitating fitting of the adult seat belt into said strap path and a latched tightening position; and

(c) latch means to latch the pivotable one of said child support squab or said child support back in said latched tightening position;

the child support further comprising a strap deflector assembly provided on the pivotable one of said child support squab or said child support back whereby in the latched tightening position the strap deflector assembly deflects the adult seat belt from said strap path to tighten it.

2. A child safety seat according to claim 1 wherein the child support squab is fixed to the base member.

3. A child safety seat according to claim 1 wherein the child support back is fixed to the base member.

4. A child safety seat according to claim 2 wherein the child support back is pivotally attached to the child support squab.

5. A child safety seat according to claim 4 wherein the latch means is provided at a high position in the child support back and the back portion of the base.

6. A child safety seat according to claim 1 wherein the back portion of said base member comprises two upwardly extending side members and an upper bar interconnecting the side members;

and wherein the guide means comprises a guide located on each side member.

7. A child safety seat according to claim 6 wherein the guide means comprise lap guides for the lap portion of said adult seat belt.

8. A child safety seat for securing to a vehicle'"'"'s adult seat by its adult seat belt, the child safety seat comprising:

(a) a generally L shape base member having a squab portion for resting on a squab of the adult seat, a back portion for abutting against a back of the adult seat, and guide means defining a strap path for the adult seat belt to secure the base member to the adult seat, and a strap deflector;

(b) a child support having a child support squab for resting on said squab portion and a child support back for abutting against said back portion, wherein one of said child support squab or child support back is attached to be fixed to the base member while the other of said child support squab or child support back is pivotable, relative to the fixed one, between a folded position facilitating fitting of the adult seat belt into said strap path and a latched tightening position; and

(c) latch means to latch the pivotable one of said child support squab or said child support back in said latched tightening position;

the child support further comprising a projection provided on the pivotable one of said child support squab or said child support back whereby in the latched tightening position the projection acts on the strap deflector to deflect the adult seat belt from said strap path to tighten it.

9. A child safety seat according to claim 8 wherein the child support squab is fixed to the base member.

10. A child safety seat according to claim 8 wherein the child support back is fixed to the base member.

11. A child safety seat according to claim 9 wherein the child support back is pivotally attached to the child support squab.

12. A child safety seat according to claim 11 wherein the latch means is provided at a high position in the child support back and the back portion of the base.

13. A child safety seat according to claim 8 wherein the back portion of said base member comprises two upwardly extending side members and an upper bar interconnecting the side members;

and wherein the guide means comprises a guide located on each side member.

14. A child safety seat according to claim 13 wherein the guide means comprise lap guides for the lap portion of said adult seat belt.