Belt-anchor system for juvenile vehicle seat
First Claim
1. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprisinga seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat,a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position, such that the seat-base belt is adapted to couple the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position,belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts are detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position,wherein the belt anchor means comprises a pincher plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the first end is pivotably attached to the seat support to cause the pincher plate to pivot between an open position and a closed position about a pivot axis, the second end of the pincher plate is located to lie adjacent the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the pincher plate is configured to form a transverse anchor belt passageway with the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the anchor belt passageway is arranged to extend from the first side to the second side of the pincher plate, and the seat-base belt is arranged to extend through the anchor belt passageway when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, andwherein the pincher plate includes a first paddle having a proximal end and a distal end and a second paddle having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends of the first and second paddles are pivotably attached to the seat support, the distal end of the first paddle includes a first belt retainer extending downwardly from a bottom of the first paddle, the distal end of the second paddle includes a second belt retainer extending downwardly from a bottom of the second paddle, the first belt retainer is arranged to block the seat-base belt from moving outwardly beyond the distal end of the first paddle and the second belt retainer is arranged to block the seat-base belt from moving outwardly beyond the distal end of the second paddle when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the first and second anchor belts are in the use position.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat. The seat base includes a first anchor belt and a second anchor belt for anchoring the seat base to a vehicle seat of a vehicle. The seat base includes a belt anchor system for anchoring the first and second anchor belts to the seat base when the first and second anchor belts are in a use position and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat base when the first and second anchor belts are in a stored position.
77 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position, such that the seat-base belt is adapted to couple the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts are detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position, wherein the belt anchor means comprises a pincher plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the first end is pivotably attached to the seat support to cause the pincher plate to pivot between an open position and a closed position about a pivot axis, the second end of the pincher plate is located to lie adjacent the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the pincher plate is configured to form a transverse anchor belt passageway with the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the anchor belt passageway is arranged to extend from the first side to the second side of the pincher plate, and the seat-base belt is arranged to extend through the anchor belt passageway when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, and wherein the pincher plate includes a first paddle having a proximal end and a distal end and a second paddle having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends of the first and second paddles are pivotably attached to the seat support, the distal end of the first paddle includes a first belt retainer extending downwardly from a bottom of the first paddle, the distal end of the second paddle includes a second belt retainer extending downwardly from a bottom of the second paddle, the first belt retainer is arranged to block the seat-base belt from moving outwardly beyond the distal end of the first paddle and the second belt retainer is arranged to block the seat-base belt from moving outwardly beyond the distal end of the second paddle when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the first and second anchor belts are in the use position.
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7. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position, such that the seat-base belt is adapted to couple the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts are detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position, wherein the belt anchor means comprises a pincher plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the first end is pivotably attached to the seat support to cause the pincher plate to pivot between an open position and a closed position about a pivot axis, the second end of the pincher plate is located to lie adjacent the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the pincher plate is configured to from a transverse anchor belt passageway with the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the anchor belt passageway is arranged to extend from the first side to the second side of the pincher plate, and the seat-base belt is arranged to extend through the anchor belt passageway when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, and wherein the pincher plate includes a first paddle projection extending along and downwardly from the first side of the pincher plate and a second paddle projection extending along and downwardly from the second side of the pincher plate, the first paddle projection is configured to engage the first anchor belt when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the first anchor belt is in the use position, and the second paddle projection is configured to engage the second anchor belt when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the second anchor belt is in the use position.
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12. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position, such that the seat-base belt is adapted to couple the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts are detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position, wherein the belt anchor means comprises a pincher plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the first end is pivotably attached to the seat support to cause the pincher plate to pivot between an open position and a closed position about a pivot axis, the second end of the pincher plate is located to lie adjacent the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the pincher plate is configured to form a transverse anchor belt passageway with the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the anchor belt passageway is arranged to extend from the first side to the second side of the pincher plate, and the seat-base belt is arranged to extend through the anchor belt passageway when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, wherein the pincher plate includes an outer vehicle belt retainer extending along and upwardly from the second end of the pincher plate, the outer vehicle belt retainer is configured to block a vehicle belt from moving outwardly beyond the second end of the pincher plate when the pincher plate is in the closed position and a vehicle belt extends transversely across a top of the pincher plate, wherein the pincher plate includes a first paddle having a proximal end and a distal end and a second paddle having a proximal end and a distal end, the first and second paddles are arranged to lie in spaced apart relation to one another, and outer vehicle belt retainer is arranged to extend between and across the first and second paddles, and wherein the first paddle includes an inner vehicle belt retainer spaced apart from the outer vehicle belt retainer of the first paddle, and the second paddle includes an inner vehicle belt retainer spaced apart from the outer vehicle belt retainer of the second paddle, the belt anchor means further comprises a belt support coupled to the seat support, the belt support is located between the first paddle and the second paddle when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the belt support includes a bridge having a first end coupled to the seat support and a second end coupled to the seat support, the transverse anchor belt passageway extending between the seat support and the bridge.
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13. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position, such that the seat-base belt is adapted to couple the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts are detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position, wherein the belt anchor means comprises a cover plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, the first end is pivotably attached to the seat support to cause the cover plate to be pivotable about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position, a bottom of the cover plate forms a vehicle belt passageway adapted to receive a vehicle belt when the cover plate is in the closed position, and the vehicle belt passageway is arranged to extend transversely from the first side to the second side of the cover plate, and wherein the cover plate includes a first cover projection extending along and downwardly from the first side of the cover plate and a second cover projection extending along and downwardly from the second side of the cover plate, and the first and second cover projections are configured to engage the vehicle belt when the cover plate is in the closed position and the vehicle belt is located in the vehicle belt passageway.
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20. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position such that the seat-base belt is adapted to coupled to the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts arc detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position, wherein the belt anchor means comprises a belt support including an upper bridge mount attached to the seat support, a lower bridge mount attached to the seat support, and a bridge arranged to extend between the upper bridge mount and the lower bridge mount, and the bridge is formed to include a belt passageway through which the seat-base belt extends, and wherein the belt anchor means further comprises a pincher plate pivotably coupled to the upper bridge mount for pivotal movement about a pivot axis and a cover plate pivotably coupled to the upper bridge mount for pivotable movement about the pivot axis.
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26. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt having a first free end adapted to mate with a first stationary fixture associated with a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first anchor belt is in a use position, and a second anchor belt having a second free end adapted to mate with a second stationary fixture associated with the vehicle seat when the second anchor belt is in a use position, such that the seat-base belt is adapted to couple the seat support to the vehicle seat when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, belt anchor means for anchoring the seat-base belt to the seat support when the first free end of the first anchor belt is coupled to the first stationary fixture and the second free end of the second anchor belt is coupled to the second stationary fixture when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, for enabling rearrangement of the first and second anchor belts to a stored position when the first and second free ends of the first and second anchor belts are detached from the first and second stationary fixtures, and for anchoring a vehicle belt of the vehicle to the seat support when the first and second anchor belts are in the stored position, wherein the seat support includes a foundation associated with the belt anchor means, the foundation includes a center hump having a longitudinal hump depression, a first foundation floor located on a first side of the center hump, and a second foundation floor located on an opposite second side of the center hump, wherein the foundation further comprises an elongate first inside ledge located outwardly from the first foundation floor, an elongate second inside ledge located outwardly from the second foundation floor, an elongate first outside ledge located outwardly from the first inside ledge, an elongate second outside ledge located outwardly from the second inside ledge, a first foundation groove located between the first inside ledge and first outside ledge, and a second foundation groove located between the second inside ledge and the second outside ledge, and wherein the belt anchor means comprises a pincher plate pivotably attached to the seat support for pivotable movement between an open position and a closed position, the pincher plate includes a first side having a first projection and a second side having a second projection, the first projection is configured to press the seat-base belt against the first inside ledge of the foundation, and the second projection is configured to press the seat-base belt against the second inside ledge of the foundation when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the first and second anchor belts are in the use position.
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28. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, the seat support including foundation, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt and a second anchor belt adapted to anchor the seat support to a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first and second anchor belts are in a use position, the seat-base belt extending across the foundation of the seat base when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, and a pincher plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the first side of the pincher plate is pivotably attached to the seat support to cause the pincher plate to pivot between an open position and a closed position, a transverse anchor belt passageway is located between the pincher plate and the foundation of the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position and extends transversely from the first side to the second side of the pincher plate, the transverse anchor belt passageway configured to receive the seat-base belt when the first and second anchor belts are in the use position, a first longitudinal anchor belt passageway located between the second end of the pincher plate and the foundation of the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, a second longitudinal anchor belt passageway located between the second end of the pincher plate and the foundation of the seat support when the pincher plate is in the closed position, the first anchor belt extending through the first longitudinal anchor belt passageway when the first anchor belt is in a stored position, the second anchor belt extending through the second anchor belt passageway when the second anchor belt is in a stored position, the first anchor belt being movable from the use position to the stored position when the pincher plate is in the open position, the second anchor belt being movable from the use position to the stored position when the pincher plate is in the open position.
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30. A seat base for a child restraint adapted to receive a juvenile seat, the seat base comprising
a seat support adapted to receive the juvenile seat, the seat support including a foundation having a first foundation inside ledge and a second foundation inside ledge, a seat-base belt including a first anchor belt and a second anchor belt adapted to anchor the seat support to a vehicle seat of a vehicle when the first and second anchor belts are in a use position, a pincher plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, wherein the first end of the pincher plate is pivotably coupled to the seat support wherein the pincher plate is pivotable with respect to the seat support, the pincher plate includes a first paddle and a spaced apart second paddle, the first paddle includes a first paddle projection extending along the first side of the pincher plate and the second paddle includes a second projection extending along the second side of the pincher plate, a transverse anchor belt passageway located between the pincher plate and the foundation extending between the first side and second side of the pincher plate, the first paddle projection pressing the first anchor belt into engagement with the first inside foundation ledge of the foundation when the first anchor belt is in the use position and pincher plate is in the closed position and the second paddle projection pressing the second anchor belt into engagement with the second foundation inside ledge when the second anchor belt is in the use position and the pincher plate is in the closed position, and a cover plate having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, and wherein the first end of the cover plate is pivotably coupled to the seat support such that the pincher plate is pivotable with respect to the seat support between open and closed positions, the cover plate overlying the pincher plate when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the cover plate is in the closed position, a first cover projection extending along the first side of the cover plate and a second cover projection extending along the second side of the cover plate, the first cover projection located outwardly from the first paddle projection and the second cover projection located outwardly from the second paddle projection when the pincher plate is in the closed position and the cover plate is in the closed position, the first cover projection pressing the first anchor belt into engagement with the first foundation inside ledge when the first anchor belt is in the use position and the cover plate is in the closed position, and the second cover projection pressing the second anchor belt into engagement with the second foundation inside ledge when the second anchor belt is in the use position and the cover plate is in the closed position.
Specification