Automobile child seat

• US 7,753,445 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aprica Childrens Products Inc (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aprica Childrens Products Inc (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Kassai, Kenzou, Kawano, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARRETT, ERIKA P
• Application Number:
  US12/315,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 297253-255, 2972561-25616, 297/250.1, 297/464
• US Class Current: 297/256.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2824 part of the base being supported by the vehicle frame B60N2/289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2869 rotatable about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2878 the back-rest being inclinable

Abstract

A child seat includes: a base member; a seat body switchable at least between a forward facing state and a sideways facing state in a bed shape on the base member; a prop or strut member attached to a front end of the base member and extending to a position where the prop member abuts on a floor of an automobile; and a rigid bar-shaped support member supported by the prop member so as to be displaceable between an upper position and a lower position. A side engagement portion is provided in a side surface of the seat body. The side engagement portion engages with the support member when the support member is brought to the upper position in the sideways facing state in the bed shape.

Claims

1. An automobile child seat, comprising:

a base member fixedly secured to a seat of an automobile;

a seat body attached to said base member and switchable at least between a forward facing state and a sideways facing state in a bed shape;

a rigid prop member attached to a front end of said base member and extending downwardly so that said prop member abuts and props against a floor of the automobile; and

a rigid bar-shaped support member connected to and supported by said prop member so as to be selectively displaceable between and selectively fixable in an upper position and a lower position, wherein

a side engagement portion is provided in a side surface of said seat body, and said side engagement portion engages with said support member when said support member is brought to and fixed in said upper position in said sideways facing state in the bed shape so that said support member supported by said prop member and engaged with said side engagement portion prevents a forward tilting of said seat body.

2. The automobile child seat according to claim 1, wherein said seat body is switchable to a rearward facing state in addition to said forward facing state and said sideways facing state in the bed shape, a back engagement portion is provided on a back surface of said seat body, and said back engagement portion engages with said support member when said support body is brought to said upper position in said rearward facing state.

3. The automobile child seat according to claim 1, wherein said rigid prop member has a pipe shape, and said rigid bar-shaped support member can be received in said pipe shape of said rigid prop member so as to be displaceable in an up-down direction.

4. The automobile child seat according to claim 1, wherein said rigid prop member has a U shape formed by two longitudinal bar portions extending in an up-down direction and spaced apart from each other and a transverse bar portion connecting respective lower ends of the two longitudinal bar portions to each other, and said rigid bar-shaped support member includes first and second support bars respectively supported by said two longitudinal bar portions so as to be displaceable in the up-down direction.

5. The automobile child seat according to claim 4, wherein a respective one of said side engagement portion is provided respectively in each of two of said side surfaces of said seat body.

6. The automobile child seat according to claim 4, wherein said seat body is switchable to a rearward facing state in addition to said forward facing state and said sideways facing state, first and second back engagement portions are provided on a back surface of said seat body, and said first and second back engagement portions respectively engage with said first and second support bars when said first and second support bars are brought to said upper position in said rearward facing state.

7. The automobile child seat according to claim 1, wherein said seat body is rotatably supported on said base member.

8. An automobile child seat, comprising:

a base member fixedly secured to a seat of an automobile;

a seat body attached to said base member and switchable at least between a forward facing state and a rearward facing state;

a rigid prop member attached to a front end of said base member and extending downwardly so that said prop member abuts and props against a floor of the automobile; and

a rigid bar-shaped support member connected to and supported by said rop member so as to be selectively displaceable between and selectively fixable in an upper position and a lower position, wherein

a back engagement portion is provided on a back surface of said seat body, and said back engagement portion engages with said support member when said support member is brought to and fixed in said upper position in said rearward facing state so that said support member supported by said prop member and engaged with said back engagement portion prevents a forward tilting of said seat body.

9. The automobile child seat according to claim 8, wherein said tension rigid prop member has a pipe shape, and said rigid bar-shaped support member can be received in said pipe shape of said rigid prop member so as to be displaceable in an up-down direction.

10. The automobile child seat according to claim 8, wherein said tension rigid prop member has a U shape formed by two longitudinal bar portions extending in an up-down direction and spaced apart from each other and a transverse bar portion connecting respective lower ends of the two longitudinal bar portions to each other, and said rigid bar-shaped support member includes first and second support bars respectively supported by said two longitudinal bar portions so as to be displaceable in the up-down direction.

11. An automobile child seat, comprising:

a base member fixedly secured to a seat of an automobile;

a seat body attached to said base member;

a rigid prop member attached to a front end of said base member and extending downwardly downwardly so that said prop member abuts and props against a floor of the automobile; and

a rigid bar-shaped support member connected to and supported by said prop member so as to be selectively displaceable between and selectively fixable in an upper position and a lower position, wherein

an engagement portion is provided on said seat body, and said engagement portion engages with said support member when said support member is brought to and fixed in said upper position so that said support member supported by said prop member and engaged with said engagement portion prevents a forward tilting of said seat body.