Child car seat pivoting between a utilisation position and at least one installation position and possessing a twin locking mode

• US 7,490,897 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Biaud, Richard, Lhomme, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/766,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20080054692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 297/256.12, 297/256.13, 297/256.16
• US Class Current: 297/256.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2869 rotatable about a vertical axis

Abstract

A child car seat includes a base and a seat pivotally disposed on the base such that the seat may pivot between a utilization position, where the seat faces a road, and an installation position, where the seat is turned toward a door of the vehicle. The seat includes a first locking element disposed on a vertical part of the base and a second locking element disposed on the backrest. The first locking element comprises a frontal guiding surface and a lateral guiding surface and the second locking element comprises a mobile part that interacts with the frontal guiding surface. The frontal and lateral guiding surfaces cause the first and second locking elements to engage in a locked position as the seat is moved to the utilization position. The first and second locking elements are in an unlocked position as the seat is moved to the installation positional.

Claims

1. A child car seat, comprising:

a base positionable within a vehicle on a vehicle seat;

at seat having a backrest, wherein the seat is pivotally disposed on the base such that the seat may pivot between at least a utilization position, where the seat faces a road, and an installation position, where the seat is turned toward a door of the vehicle;

a first locking element disposed on a vertical part of the base; and

a second locking element disposed on the backrest at a portion of the backrest adapted to abut against a backrest of the vehicle seat;

wherein the first locking element comprises a frontal guiding surface and a lateral guiding surface;

wherein the second locking element comprises a mobile part that interacts with the frontal guiding surface as the backrest moves in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the backrest;

wherein the mobile part interacts with the lateral guiding surface as the backrest moves substantially parallel to the backrest;

wherein the frontal guiding surface and the lateral guiding surface cause the first locking element and the second locking element to engage in a locked position as the seat is moved to the utilization position; and

wherein the first locking element and the second locking element are in an unlocked position as the seat is moved to the installation position.

2. child car seat of claim 1, wherein the installation position comprises a first installation position where the seat is rotated to the left and a second installation position where the seat is rotated to the right, and

wherein the lateral guiding surface comprises two lateral guiding surfaces that cooperate with the mobile part as the seat is rotated from the first installation position or the second installation position.

3. child car seat of claim of claim 1, further comprising a return element associated with the mobile part to bias the first locking element and the second locking element into the locked position as the seat is moved to the utilization position.

4. child car seat of claim 3, wherein the return element is a spring.

5. The child car seat of claim of claim 1, further comprising an unlocking element to cause the first locking element and the second locking element to become unlocked from one another.

6. The child car seat of claim 5, wherein the unlocking element is remotely activated via a control cable.

7. The child car seat of claim 1, further comprising:

a visual indicator to indicate whether or not the first locking element and the second locking element are in the locked position.

8. The child car seat of claim 1, further comprising:

a locking housing comprising at least a portion of the first locking element,

wherein the lateral guiding surface forms a slide leading to the locking housing.

9. The child car seat of claim 8, wherein the second locking element comprises a hook with at least two mobile teeth, which cooperate with the locking housing to lock the first locking element and the second locking element together.

10. The child car seat of claim 8, wherein the second locking element comprises a hook that pivots around a shaft disposed perpendicularly to the backrest and wherein the hook comprises an extremity that cooperates with the locking housing to lock the first locking element and the second locking element together.

11. The child car seat of claim 1, wherein the mobile part is a hook that see-saws around a horizontal axis to cooperate with at least a portion of the first locking element that comprises a U-shaped member.

12. The child car seat of claim 1, further comprising:

an indexing element to control placement of the seat into the utilization position.

13. The child car seat of claim 12, wherein the indexing element comprises at least one mobile element that assumes at least a first position, permitting rotation of the seat to the right, and a second position, permitting rotation of the seat to the left.