Web adjuster for vehicle seat harness

• US 8,327,507 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eisinger, Darren P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): UPCHURCH, DAVID M
• Application Number:
  US12/877,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 24/68.R, 24/69.SB, 24/69.ST, 241/68, 241/70, 241/91, 244/57
• US Class Current: 24/170
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/30 Coupling devices other than buckles, including length-adjusting fittings or anti-slip devices adaptations of manual three-point seat belt systems for use by small passengers using other means than belt anti-slip devices B60R22/024; buckles A44B11/00; releasable fastenings in general F16B
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/185 using levers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/21 Strap tighteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2117 Strap tighteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2136 Seat belt buckles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4012 Clamping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4016 Pivoted part or lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4072 Pivoted lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44017 with specific mounting means for attaching to rigid or semirigid supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured

Abstract

A child-restraint system is adapted for use with a juvenile vehicle seat. The child-restraint system includes a frame configured to be mounted on the juvenile vehicle seat and a web clamp coupled to the frame. The web clamp is configured to clamp a web passing under the web clamp and through a web-receiving channel formed in the frame.

Claims

1. A child-restraint system for a juvenile vehicle seat, the child-restraint system comprising

a frame including a horizontal base plate formed to include a web exit slot and adapted to be mounted on the juvenile vehicle seat and upright first and second side plates coupled to the horizontal base plate and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to form therebetween a web-receiving channel communicating with the web exit slot,

a web guide coupled to the frame to cover a portion of the web-receiving channel formed in the horizontal base plate to form a web tunnel defined by portions of the horizontal base plate, first and second side walls, and web guide, the web guide includes a front wall arranged to cover forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates and formed to include a web entrance slot arranged to extend laterally between the upright first and second side plates to provide an entry portal into the web tunnel sized to provide means for guiding any web passing into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot past the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates and toward the web exit slot without contacting the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates, and

a web clamp coupled to the upright first and second side plates of the frame and configured to apply a clamping force to a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot to hold the web in a stationary position relative to the frame, wherein the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates of the frame are arranged to face away from the web clamp:

wherein the web guide includes a first side panel and a second side panel arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first side panel to locate portions of the upright first and second side plates therebetween;

wherein the front wall is arranged to interconnect the first and second side panels; and

wherein the horizontal base plate includes a front mount flange, a rear mount flange, and a platform arranged to interconnect the front and rear mount flanges and to support the first and second upright plates and formed to include the web exit slot and the web guide further includes a front mount flange coupled to each of the front wall and first and second side panels and mated to the front mount flange of the horizontal base plate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the web guide further includes a canopy coupled to each of the front wall and the first and second side panels and arranged to span a laterally extending space provided between the first and second side panels to form a top boundary of the web tunnel and cover a portion of the web clamp.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the web entrance slot formed in the front wall of the web guide has a laterally extending width characterized by a first width dimension and the upright first and second side plates of the frame are separated laterally from one another by a second width dimension that is greater than the first width dimension.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the front wall includes a first rearward-facing edge panel mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate to provide first side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate and a second rearward-facing edge panel mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate to provide second side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the upright first and second side plates of the frame are made of a metal material and the front wall of the web guide is made of a plastics material.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates of the frame are arranged to face toward the front mount flange of the horizontal base plate and away from the platform and the rear mount flange.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the web guide further includes a rear mount flange coupled to the first and second side panels and mated to the rear mount flange of the horizontal base plate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the web guide further includes a canopy coupled to each of the first and second side panels and arranged to span a laterally extending space provided between the first and second side panels to form a top boundary of the web tunnel and cover a portion of the web clamp and the front wall is coupled to the canopy and arranged to extend downwardly toward the horizontal base plate.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the web entrance slot formed in the front wall of the web guide has a laterally extending width characterized by a first width dimension and the upright first and second side plates of the frame are separated laterally from one another by a second width dimension that is greater than the first width dimension.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the front wall includes a first rearward-facing edge mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate to provide first side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate and a second rearward-facing edge mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate to provide second side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the front wall is arranged to mate with the horizontal base plate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the web guide further includes a front mount flange coupled to the front wall and arranged to mate with the horizontal base plate and extend in a direction away from the web exit slot and lie outside the web tunnel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates of the frame are arranged to face toward the front mount flange of the front wall and away from the web exit slot formed in the horizontal base plate.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the front wall of the web guide includes a first rearward-facing edge panel mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate to provide first side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate and a second rearward-facing edge panel mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate to provide second side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the front wall of the web guide further includes a center panel arranged to interconnect the first and second rearward-facing edge panels and formed to include the web entrance slot to cause the web entrance slot to lie in spaced-apart relation to each of the first and second rearward-facing edge panels of the web guide and to each of the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second plates of the frame.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the web entrance slot formed in the front wall of the web guide has a laterally extending width characterized by a first width dimension and the upright first and second side plates of the frame are separated laterally from one another by a second width dimension that is greater than the first width dimension.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the web guide further includes a canopy arranged to overlie portions of the upright first and second side plates of the frame and to span a laterally extending space provided between the upright first and second side plates to form a top boundary of the web tunnel and cover a portion of the web clamp and wherein the front wall is coupled to the canopy and arranged to extend downwardly toward the horizontal base plate to locate the web entrance slot above the horizontal base plate and below the canopy.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the web entrance slot formed in the front wall of the web guide has a laterally extending width characterized by a first width dimension and the upright first and second side plates of the frame are separated laterally from one another by a second width dimension that is greater than the first width dimension.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the front wall includes a first rearward-facing edge mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate to provide first side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate and a second rearward-facing edge mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate to provide second side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the front wall is arranged to mate with the horizontal base plate.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the web guide further includes a front mount flange coupled to the front wall and arranged to mate with the horizontal base plate and extend in a direction away from the web exit slot and lie outside the web tunnel.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates of the frame are arranged to face toward the front mount flange of the front wall and away from the web exit slot formed in the horizontal base plate.

23. A child-restraint system for a juvenile vehicle seat, the child-restraint system comprising

a frame including a horizontal base plate formed to include a web exit slot and adapted to be mounted on the juvenile vehicle seat and upright first and second side plates coupled to the horizontal base plate and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another to form therebetween a web-receiving channel communicating with the web exit slot,

a web guide coupled to the frame to cover a portion of the web-receiving channel formed in the horizontal base plate to form a web tunnel defined by portions of the horizontal base plate, first and second side walls, and web guide, the web guide includes a front wall arranged to cover forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates and formed to include a web entrance slot arranged to extend laterally between the upright first and second side plates to provide an entry portal into the web tunnel sized to provide means for guiding any web passing into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot past the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates and toward the web exit slot without contacting the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates, and

a web clamp coupled to the upright first and second side plates of the frame and configured to apply a clamping force to a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot to hold the web in a stationary position relative to the frame, wherein the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates of the frame are arranged to face away from the web clamp;

wherein the front wall of the web guide includes a first rearward-facing edge panel mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate to provide first side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright first side plate and a second rearward-facing edge panel mating with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate to provide second side means for blocking engagement of a web extending into the web tunnel through the web entrance slot and exiting the web tunnel through the web exit slot with the forward-facing edge of the upright second side plate; and

wherein the horizontal base plate includes a front mount flange, a rear mount flange, and a platform arranged to interconnect the front and rear mount flanges and to support the first and second upright plates and formed to include the web exit slot and the web guide further includes a front mount flange coupled to each of the front wall and first and second side panels and mated to the front mount flange of the horizontal base plate.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the forward-facing edges of the upright first and second side plates of the frame are arranged to face toward the front mount flange of the horizontal base plate and away from the platform and the rear mount flange.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the web guide further includes a rear mount flange coupled to the first and second side panels and mated to the rear mount flange of the horizontal base plate.

26. A child-restraint system for a juvenile vehicle seat, the child-restraint system comprising

a frame including a horizontal base plate including a front mount flange at one end, a rear mount flange at an opposite end, and a platform arranged to interconnect the front and rear mount flanges, the frame further including a first side plate coupled to the platform and formed to include a first forward-facing edge facing toward the front mount flange and away from the rear mount flange and a second side plate coupled to the platform to lie in laterally spaced-apart relation to the first side plate to form a web-receiving channel therebetween and formed to include a second forward-facing edge facing toward the first mount flange and away from the rear mount flange,

a web clamp coupled to the first and second side plates of the frame and configured to lie above and apply a clamping force to a web passing over the platform and through the web-receiving channel, and

a web guide made of a plastics material and coupled to the frame and configured to include a first rearward-facing edge panel covering the first forward-facing edge, a second rearward-facing edge panel covering the second forward-facing edge, and a center panel arranged to lie between the first and second rearward-facing edge panels, wherein the center panel is formed to include a web entrance slot opening into the web-receiving channel to receive a web passing into the web-receiving channel, over the platform, and under the web clamp.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the web entrance slot formed in the web guide has a laterally extending width characterized by a first width dimension and the first and second side plates of the frame are separated laterally from one another by a second width dimension that is greater than the first width dimension.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the web guide further includes a canopy coupled to each of the first and second side panels and arranged to span a laterally extending space provided between the first and second side panels to form a top boundary of the web tunnel and cover a portion of the web clamp and the center panel is coupled to the canopy and arranged to extend downwardly toward the horizontal base plate.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the web guide further includes a rear mount flange coupled to the first and second side panels and mated to the rear mount flange of the horizontal base plate.