Support device for a child vehicle safety seat

• US 7,441,733 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Shun-Min, Zhong, Zhi-Ren
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez; Ramon O
• Application Number:
  US11/806,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 248/125.8, 248/125.1, 248/125.3, 248/125.2, 248/200.1, 248/354.1, 248/354.6, 248/357, 297/256.16, 224/275
• US Class Current: 248/125.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2824 part of the base being supported by the vehicle frame B60N2/289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/105 locking in discrete positions, e.g. in extreme extended position

Abstract

A support device includes a positioning tube to be connected to a child vehicle safety seat and formed with a plurality of positioning hole units. A support tube is sleeved telescopically on the positioning tube and is formed with a pair of through holes. A support base is sleeved on the support tube, and has a mounting seat disposed at a horizontal level corresponding to the through holes. A seat height adjusting unit includes an actuator that is mounted movably in the mounting seat, that is biased by a spring member, and that engages removably the through holes and a registered one of the positioning hole units to retain the positioning tube at a desired extended length relative to the support tube.

Claims

1. A support device for a child vehicle safety seat, said support device comprising:

a positioning tube having a first tube portion adapted to be connected to the child vehicle safety seat, and a second tube portion opposite to said first tube portion, said positioning tube being formed with a plurality of positioning hole units spaced apart from each other along a tube axis, each of said positioning hole units including a pair of positioning holes that are disposed at diametrically opposite positions relative to the tube axis;

a support tube sleeved telescopically on said second tube portion of said positioning tube and formed with a pair of through holes that are disposed at diametrically opposite positions relative to the tube axis;

a support base sleeved on said support tube, and having a mounting seat disposed at a horizontal level corresponding to said through holes in said support tube; and

a seat height adjusting unit including

an actuator mounted movably in said mounting seat and having a pair of extending arms respectively disposed at opposite lateral sides of said support tube, and a pair of protruding members each disposed at a respective one of said extending arms, said protruding members being extendible into said through holes and said positioning holes of a registered one of said positioning hole units to retain said positioning tube at a desired extended length relative to said support tube, and

a spring member disposed in said mounting seat for applying a biasing force to said actuator.

2. The support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said actuator is movable in said mounting seat between a locking position, where said positioning tube is retained at the desired extended length relative to said support tube, and an unlocking position, where said protruding members cease to extend into said through holes and said positioning holes of said positioning hole units to permit adjustment of the extended length of said positioning tube relative to said support tube.

3. The support device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuator is movable in a radial direction relative to the tube axis, and said spring member biases said actuator to the locking position away from said positioning and support tubes.

4. The support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting seat is formed with a guide slot unit that includes a pair of lateral guide slots, each disposed adjacent to a respective one of said extending arms of said actuator,

said actuator further having a pair of stop portions each disposed at an outer side of a respective one of said extending arms, said stop portions extending movably and respectively into said guide slots to limit range of movement of said actuator relative to said mounting seat.

5. The support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting seat has an open end portion that extends radially relative to the tube axis, said actuator including a press part that interconnects said extending arms and that is accessible from said open end portion of said mounting seat.

6. The support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said positioning holes has a hole-defining wall with a flat top edge, and each of said through holes has a hole-defining wall with a flat bottom edge, and

wherein said protruding members abut against said top edges of said positioning holes of the registered one of said positioning holes units and further against said bottom edges of said through holes to retain said positioning tube at the desired extended length relative to said support tube.

7. The support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said actuator includes a U-shaped engaging member, said engaging member having a pair of end arms mounted respectively on said inner sides of said extending arms, each of said protruding members being formed on a distal end of a respective one of said end arms.

8. The support device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said end arms of said engaging member has a barb part that abuts against the respective one of said extending arms to retain said engaging member on said extending arms.

9. The support device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning tube is provided with a resilient limit component therein to prevent removal of said positioning tube from said support tube.

10. The support device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second tube portion of said positioning tube is formed with a first limit hole, said support tube being formed with a second limit hole proximate to an upper end of said support tube, said resilient limit component being formed in a U shape and having an end portion formed with a hook, said hook being extendible removably into said first and second limit holes to prevent removal of said positioning tube from said support tube.

11. The support device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said support base further has a tubular sleeve sleeved on said support tube, said mounting seat being formed on said tubular sleeve, said tubular sleeve being formed with a third limit hole proximate to an upper end of said tubular sleeve, said hook being extendible removably into said first, second and third limit holes.

12. A support device comprising:

a positioning tube formed with a plurality of positioning hole units spaced apart from each other along a tube axis, each of said positioning hole units including a pair of positioning holes that are disposed at diametrically opposite positions relative to the tube axis;

a support member sleeved telescopically on said positioning tube and formed with a pair of through holes that are disposed at diametrically opposite positions relative to the tube axis, said support member having a mounting seat disposed at a horizontal level corresponding to said through holes; and

an actuator mounted movably in said mounting seat and having two protruding portions that correspond respectively in position to said through holes, said actuator being biased for movement between a locking position, where said protruding portions engage said through holes and said positioning holes of a registered one of said positioning hole units to retain said positioning tube at a desired extended length relative to said support member, and an unlocking position, where said protruding portions are disengaged from said through holes and said positioning holes of said positioning hole units to permit adjustment of the extended length of said positioning tube relative to said support member.

13. The support device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said actuator is movable in a radial direction relative to the tube axis.

14. The support device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said actuator is U-shaped and has a pair of end arms, each of said protruding portions being disposed at a respective one of said end arms.