Juvenile seat with removable, wearable infant carrier sling

• US 7,810,682 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Deboer, Jeffrey A., Carpenter-Crawford, Evan, Balensiefer, Eugene R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Landolfi, Jr.; Steven M
• Application Number:
  US11/277,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 224/158, 224/159, 224/161, 224/160, 224/275, 224/585, 224/257, 224/258, 297/219.12, 297/250.1, 297/253, 297/254, 297/255, 297/256.15, 297/256.16, 297/256, 297/467
• US Class Current: 224/158
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/02 Baby-carriers; Carry-cots
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/025 for carrying children in seated position
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/027 Baby-carriers with rigid frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2854 Children's cots; Hammocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2881 Upholstery, padded or cushioned members therefor

Abstract

An infant basin is adapted to be mounted in a basin-receiving cavity of a seat shell. A shoulder strap is provided for the infant basin.

Claims

1. An infant seat comprising

a seat shell including a seat bottom and a seat back cooperating with the seat bottom to form a basin-receiving cavity,

an infant carrier sling adapted to be worn by a caregiver in one mode and mounted in the basin-receiving cavity of the seat shell in another mode, the infant carrier sling including an infant basin sized and shaped to fit in the basin-receiving cavity and a harness assembly coupled to the infant basin and configured to restrain an infant lying in the infant basin, the harness assembly comprising a child-restraint harness coupled to the infant basin and a shoulder strap having a first end coupled to one end of the infant basin, a second end releasably coupled to the child-restraint harness, and a middle portion located between the first and second ends and arranged to pass through a receiver slot formed in another end of the infant basin to provide wearable over-the-shoulder means for carrying the infant basin upon separation of the infant basin from the seat shell so that a caregiver can wear the shoulder strap over one shoulder to suspend the infant basin in close proximity to a torso portion of the caregiver only when the second end of the shoulder strap is coupled to the child-restraint harness,

anchor means for anchoring the infant basin in a fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity of the seat shell when the infant carrier sling is not being worn by a caregiver so that an infant can be restrained in the infant basin when the infant basin is anchored to the seat shell or separated from the seat shell and carried by a caregiver using the wearable over-the-shoulder means, the anchor means including a frrst mount retainer coupled to the seat shell and a carrier mount coupled to the infant basin and configured to mate with the first mount retainer to anchor the infant basin in the fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity,

wherein the first mount retainer is coupled to the seat bottom of the seat shell, the anchor means further includes a second mount retainer coupled to the seat back of the seat shell, and the carrier mount includes a first mount unit located on an underside of the infant basin and configured to mate with the first mount retainer and a second mount unit located on the underside of the infant basin and configured to mate with the second mount retainer, and

wherein the first mount unit includes a first anchor bar, a first bar support coupled to the anchor bar, and a first anchor strap coupled to the first bar support, the second mount unit includes a second anchor bar, a second bar support, and a second anchor strap coupled to the second bar support, the carrier mount further includes a strap connector coupled to the first and second anchor straps, the first mount retainer includes first mating means for mating with the first anchor bar to anchor a bottom portion of the infant basin to the seat bottom of the seat shell, and the second mount retainer includes second mating means for mating with the second anchor bar to anchor a back portion of the infant basin to the seat back of the seat shell.

2. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the child-restraint harness includes a buckle, a first retainer strap coupled to the infant basin and to the buckle, a second retainer strap coupled to the infant basin and to the buckle, and the second end of the shoulder strap is releasably coupled to the buckle.

3. The infant seat of claim 1, further comprising a carrier handle coupled to the seat shell and arranged to overlie the infant basin to provide means for allowing a caregiver to carry the infant basin in the seat shell without using the shoulder strap when the infant basin is anchored in the fixed position to define a mobile infant carrier and wherein the middle portion of the shoulder strap is movable to assume an unused position alongside the seat shell to enable a caregiver to use the carrier handle to carry the infant basin in the seat shell.

4. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the first mating means includes an upright hook-shaped bar retainer formed to include a bar retention slot and an upright post located in spaced-apart relation to the upright hook-shaped bar retainer to define a bar entry slot communicating with the bar retention slot, and the first anchor bar is located in the bar retention slot to anchor the bottom portion of the infant basin to the seat bottom of the seat shell.

5. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the strap connector includes a two-slot belt retainer, a tether strap coupled to the two-slot belt retainer and to the infant basin, and a two-slot buckle coupled to the second anchor strap, the first anchor strap extends through first and second slots formed in the two-slot belt retainer and first and second slots formed in the two-slot buckle, and the second anchor strap extends through the first and second slots formed in the two-slot buckle.

6. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the first mount retainer includes an upright hook-shaped bar retainer formed to include a bar retention slot and an upright post located in spaced-apart relation to the upright hook-shaped bar retainer to define a bar entry slot communicating with the bar retention slot and the carrier mount includes a first anchor bar located in the bar retention slot to anchor the infant basin in the fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity.

7. The infant seat of claim 6, wherein the upright hook-shaped bar retainer includes an inclined ramp configured to provide means for contacting an approaching anchor bar included in the carrier mount and guiding the approaching anchor bar toward and into an inlet opening into the bar entry slot to facilitate insertion of the approaching anchor bar into the bar retention slot communicating with the bar entry slot.

8. The infant seat of claim 6, wherein the carrier mount includes a first mount unit configured to include the first anchor bar and the infant basin includes a foundation comprising a frame and a positioner sleeve coupled to the frame and configured to retain the first mount unit in a fixed position relative to the frame to orient the first anchor bar to pass into the bar entry slot during movement of the infant basin to assume the fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity formed in the seat shell.

9. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the infant basin includes a foundation and a trim pad mounted on the foundation to provide a soft and supportive receptacle in the infant basin for an infant and the foundation is formed to include a first foundation slot aligned with a first pad slot formed in the trim pad to form the strap receiver slot receiving the middle portion of the shoulder strap therein.

10. The infant seat of claim 9, wherein the foundation includes a foundation bottom formed to include the first foundation slot and a foundation back coupled to the first end of the shoulder strap, the trim pad includes a bottom pad arranged to rest on the foundation bottom and formed to include the first pad slot, a first bottom side wall coupled to one side edge of the bottom pad, a second bottom side wall coupled to another side edge of the bottom pad, and a connector configured to connect first and second bottom side walls to one another to form an open-ended pocket located under the bottom pad to receive a free end of the foundation bottom therein.

11. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the infant basin includes a frame and a positioner sleeve coupled to the frame and configured to retain the carrier mount in a fixed position on the frame.

12. The infant seat of claim 11, wherein the frame and positioner sleeve cooperate to define the strap receiver slot therebetween.

13. An infant seat comprising

a seat shell including a seat bottom and a seat back cooperating with the seat bottom to form a basin-receiving cavity,

an infant carrier sling adapted to be worn by a caregiver in one mode and mounted in the basin-receiving cavity of the seat shell in another mode, the infant carrier sling including an infant basin sized and shaped to fit in the basin-receiving cavity and a harness assembly coupled to the infant basin and configured to restrain an infant lying in the infant basin, the harness assembly comprising a child-restraint harness coupled to the infant basin and a shoulder strap having a first end coupled to one end of the infant basin, a second end releasably coupled to the child-restraint harness, and a middle portion located between the first and second ends and arranged to pass through a strap receiver slot formed in another end of the infant basin to provide wearable over-the-shoulder means for carrying the infant basin upon separation of the infant basin from the seat shell so that a caregiver can wear the shoulder strap over one shoulder to suspend the infant basin in close proximity to a torso portion of the caregiver only when the second end of the shoulder strap is coupled to the child-restraint harness,

anchor means for anchoring the infant basin in a fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity of the seat shell when the infant carrier sling is not being worn by a caregiver so that an infant can be restrained in the infant basin when the infant basin is anchored to the seat shell or separated from the seat shell and carried by a caregiver using the wearable over-the-shoulder means, the anchor means including a first mount retainer coupled to the seat shell and a carrier mount coupled to the infant basin and configured to mate with the first mount retainer to anchor the infant basin in the fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity,

wherein the infant basin includes a frame and a positioner sleeve coupled to the frame and configured to retain the carrier mount in a fixed position on the frame, and

wherein the frame includes a laterally extending center rail, a U-shaped bottom wicket extending from the center rail in a first direction and a U-shaped top wicket extending from the center rail in an opposite second direction to interpose the center rail between the U-shaped top and bottom wickets, the positioner sleeve includes spaced-apart top and bottom sections and a center section located between the top and bottom sections, the bottom section of the positioner sleeve is coupled to the U-shaped bottom wicket of the frame to produce a semicircular opening lying near a curved bight section included in the U-shaped bottom wicket and defining the strap receiver slot, and the top section of the positioner sleeve is coupled to the U-shaped top wicket of the frame.

14. The infant seat of claim 13, wherein the carrier mount includes first and second mount units, the first mount unit is inserted into a first pocket provided by the positioner sleeve and formed in the bottom section of the positioner sleeve, the second mount unit is inserted into a second pocket provided by the positioner sleeve and formed in the top section of the positioner sleeve, the first mount unit is configured to mate with the first mount retainer, and the second mount unit is configured to mate with the second mount retainer.

15. An infant seat comprising

a seat shell including a seat bottom and a seat back cooperating with the seat bottom to form a basin-receiving cavity,

an infant carrier sling adapted to be worn by a caregiver in one mode and mounted in the basin-receiving cavity of the seat shell in another mode, the infant carrier sling including an infant basin sized and shaped to fit in the basin-receiving cavity and a harness assembly coupled to the infant basin and configured to restrain an infant lying in the infant basin, the harness assembly comprising a child-restraint harness coupled to the infant basin and a shoulder strap having a first end coupled to one end of the infant basin, a second end releasably coupled to the child-restraint harness, and a middle portion located between the first and second ends and arranged to pass through a strap receiver slot formed in another end of the infant basin to provide wearable over-the-shoulder means for carrying the infant basin upon separation of the infant basin from the seat shell so that a caregiver can wear the shoulder strap over one shoulder to suspend the infant basin in close proximity to a torso portion of the caregiver only when the second end of the shoulder strap is coupled to the child-restraint harness,

anchor means for anchoring the infant basin in a fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity of the seat shell when the infant carrier sling is not being worn by a caregiver so that an infant can be restrained in the infant basin when the infant basin is anchored to the seat shell or separated from the seat shell and carried by a caregiver using the wearable over-the-shoulder means, the anchor means including a first mount retainer coupled to the seat shell and a carrier mount coupled to the infant basin and configured to mate with the first mount retainer to anchor the infant basin in the fixed position in the basin-receiving cavity,

wherein the infant basin includes a frame and a positioner sleeve coupled to the frame and configured to retain the carrier mount in a fixed position on the frame, and

wherein the carrier mount includes first and second mount units, each of the first and second mount units includes an anchor bar, a bar support coupled to the anchor bar, and an anchor strap coupled to the bar support, the anchor bar of the first mount unit mates with the first mount retainer to anchor one portion of the frame to the seat shell, the anchor bar of the second mount unit mates with the second mount retainer to anchor another portion of the frame to the seat shell, and the positioner sleeve is formed to include a first pocket receiving the bar support of the first mount unit and a second pocket receiving the bar support of the second mount unit.

16. The infant seat of claim 15, wherein the carrier mount further includes a strap connector coupled to the anchor straps included in the first and second mount units to retain the bar support of the first mount unit in the first pocket and the bar support of the second mount unit in the second pocket.