Child seat

• US 7,370,912 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Bruce, Crane, Charles E., Brunick, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, DAVID R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garrett; Erika
• Application Number:
  US10/734,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 297/353, 297/411.36, 297/256.1, 297/256.11, 297/584.7, 297/250.1, 297/256.13, 297/410, 248/407, 248/112
• US Class Current: 297/256.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2851 provided with head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2866 booster cushions, e.g. to lift a child to allow proper use of the conventional safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/803 fixed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/815 Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/818 with stepwise positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/882 detachable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/684 the back rest being mounted or joined with an easy attachment system to the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/30 Seat or seat parts characterised by comprising plural parts or pieces

Abstract

An adjustable child seat includes a backrest and a seat base. The backrest is adjustable and includes a top portion movably connected to a bottom portion. The back rest includes a latch connected to one of the top or bottom portions that engages a notch located in the other portion. A handle may be provided to disengage the latch from the notch and allow movement of the top portion of the backrest relative to the bottom portion.

Claims

1. A child seat comprising:

a backrest having a top portion and a bottom portion, each of the top portion and the bottom portion having a central support surface to engage and support a portion of an occupant'"'"'s body, wherein the central support surface of the top portion and the central support surface of the bottom portion are substantially co-planar to form a substantially continuous support surface when the top portion is in a lowermost position, the bottom portion having a lower surface for connection to a seat base and an upper surface opposite the lower surface, the upper surface extending substantially horizontally across the bottom portion, the top portion having a belt guide located above the upper surface of the bottom portion providing a path for a vehicle seat belt over a shoulder of the occupant'"'"'s body, the top portion being movably connected to and vertically adjustable relative to the bottom portion so that the belt guide moves toward and away from the upper surface of the bottom portion for proper orientation of the shoulder belt relative to the occupant'"'"'s body,

a flexible latch on one of the top and bottom portions;

notches located in the other of the top and bottom portions, wherein the latch is positioned to engage a selected one of the notches to fix the relative vertical position of the top portion to the bottom portion; and

a separate and independently movable release mechanism located at a position spaced from the latch and configured to move substantially vertically to contact the latch to selectively disengage the latch from the notch.

2. The child seat of claim 1, wherein the latch is configured to bend when contacted by a part of the release mechanism.

3. The child seat of claim 2, wherein the part of the release mechanism includes a wedge positioned to contact the latch.

4. The child seat of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism includes a handle that is selectively movable to disengage the latch from the notch.

5. The child seat of claim 4, further comprising an elongate rail connected to the handle and adapted to contact the latch and disengage the latch from the notch.

6. The child seat of claim 4, wherein the handle is located on the top portion of the backrest and is configured to move downward to disengage the latch from the notch.

7. The child seat of claim 6, wherein the handle is connected to a slidable rail positioned to contact the latch when the handle moves downward.

8. The child seat of claim 7, whereon one end of the rail includes a wedge shaped surface positioned so that when the handle moves downward the latch slides along the wedge shaped surface thereby disengaging from the notch.

9. The child seat of claim 1, wherein the latch is biased toward engagement with one of the notches.

10. The child seat of claim 9, wherein the latch is elastically deformed when disengaged from the notch.

11. The child seat of claim 1, wherein the latch is bendable and the release mechanism has a rail that is arranged to slide on the backrest into contact with the latch to thereby force the latch to bend and disengage from the notch.

12. The child seat of claim 11, wherein the release mechanism includes a handle connected to the rail.

13. The child seat of claim 12, wherein the handle is configured to be moved downward toward a base of the child seat to disengage the latch from the notch.

14. The child seat of claim 11, wherein the top portion of the backrest slides in a guide section of the bottom portion.

15. The child seat of claim 11, wherein the rail includes a ramped surface positioned so that when the latch contacts the rail, the latch slides along the ramp to disengage from the notch.

16. The child seat of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism is adapted to be moved into contact with the latch to disengage the latch from the notch.

17. A child seat comprising:

an adjustable backrest having a top portion and a bottom portion, each of the top portion and the bottom portion having a support surface to contact and support a portion of an occupant'"'"'s body, wherein the support surface of the top portion provides a neck and head rest to support the occupant'"'"'s neck and head and the support surface of the bottom portion provides an upper and lower back rest to support the occupant'"'"'s upper and lower back, wherein the head and neck rest and the upper and lower back rest form a substantially vertically continuous surface when the top portion is in a lowermost position, the top portion being movably connected to the bottom portion to permit selective adjustment of the neck and head rest of the top portion vertically upward or downward relative to the upper and lower back rest of the bottom portion,

a flexible latch connected to one of the top and bottom portions;

a series of notches located in the other of the top and bottom portions, the notches corresponding to vertically selectable height positions of the top portion relative to the bottom portion, wherein the latch is positioned to engage a selected notch corresponding to a selected height position to fix the top portion relative to the bottom portion; and

a separate and independently movable release mechanism located at a position spaced from the latch and adapted to move substantially vertically to selectively disengage the latch from the selected notch to enable movement of the latch upward or downward to another of the series of notches.