Car seat

• US 8,911,015 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pidyon Controls Inc
• Original Assignee: Yochanan Cohen
• Inventors: Cohen, Yochanan, Van Scoyoc, Velissa
• Primary Examiner(s): GILBERT, WILLIAM V
• Application Number:
  US13/785,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20140252814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/216.1, 297/256, 297/256.13, 297/256.16, 297/216.11, 297/216.13, 297/216.14, 297/216.15
• US Class Current: 297/256.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2884 with protection systems against abnormal g-forces

Abstract

Embodiments of a highly protective, safe and strong car seat are disclosed and include an outer protective shell, an inner seat, a suspension system connecting and permitting relative movement between the inner seat and the outer protective shell, and a harness adapted to hold an occupant to the inner seat and not attached to the outer protective shell. In the case of an accident, regardless of the direction in which the seat is facing and regardless of whether the result is a sudden acceleration and/or deceleration, the inner seat will move inside the frame, and the suspension system will absorb some, much, or all of the energy. Energy not absorbed by the suspension system may be absorbed by the inner seat itself. The frame is of extremely high strength and will remain structurally intact in almost all circumstances thereby protecting the occupant of the car seat.

Claims

1. A car seat for an occupant, comprising:

a) an outer protective shell;

b) an inner seat;

c) a suspension system coupling and permitting relative movement between said inner seat and said outer protective shell, said suspension system suspending said inner seat substantially within said outer protective shell;

d) a harness adapted to hold the occupant in the inner seat and not attached to the outer protective shell; and

e) a plurality of padding elements wherein,

said outer protective shell has an inner surface and said plurality of padding elements are located on said inner surface of said outer protective shell.

2. A car seat according to claim 1, further comprising:

f) a handle connected to said outer protective shell, wherein said outer protective shell has two side walls, a back wall and a front wall and said handle is connected to said two side walls.

3. A car seat according to claim 1, wherein:

said outer protective shell comprises at least one of carbon fibers and aramid fibers.

4. A car seat according to claim 3, wherein:

said outer protective shell has a plurality of layers, at least two of said plurality of layers comprised of said at least one of carbon fibers and aramid fibers.

5. A car seat according to 1, wherein:

said outer protective shell defines a plurality of slots for receiving a seat belt in at least two different locations.

6. A car seat according to claim 1, further comprising:

an anchor connected to said outer protective shell, said anchor including a web.

7. A car seat according to claim 1, wherein:

said shell is between 40 and 70 cm wide, 20 and 60 cm deep, and 50 and 80 cm high.

8. A car seat for an occupant, comprising:

a) an outer protective shell;

b) an inner seat;

c) a suspension system coupling and permitting relative movement between said inner seat and said outer protective shell, said suspension system suspending said inner seat substantially within said outer protective shell; and

d) a harness adapted to hold the occupant in the inner seat and not attached to the outer protective shell, wherein

said suspension system comprises a plurality of webs.

9. A car seat according to claim 8, wherein:

said outer protective shell has two side walls, a back wall and a front wall, and

said plurality of webs includes two webs extending from a first of said two side walls to said seat, two webs extending from a second of said two side walls to said seat, one web extending from said front wall to said seat, and two webs extending from said back wall to said seat.

10. A car seat according to claim 9, wherein:

said two webs extending from each of said two side walls are between 2 mm and 5 mm in length.

11. A car seat according to claim 8, wherein:

said inner seat is scooped in shape and has a relatively high back, a deep seat area extending from said back, and a slightly rising forward surface extending from said deep seat area, and said harness includes at least one belt including a central belt portion extending from said slightly rising forward surface, and two shoulder belt portions each extending from said relatively high back.

12. A car seat for an occupant, comprising:

a) an outer protective shell;

b) an inner seat;

c) a suspension system coupling and permitting relative movement between said inner seat and said outer protective shell, said suspension system suspending said inner seat substantially within said outer protective shell;

d) a harness adapted to hold the occupant in the inner seat and not attached to the outer protective shell, wherein

said inner seat comprises a plurality of layers including a hard outer layer with an inner surface, a substantially uniform inner foam layer with an outer surface facing said inner surface of said hard layer, and a cushioning spacer layer between said inner surface of said hard outer layer and said outer surface of said cushioning spacer layer, wherein said cushioning spacer layer covers substantially less than the entire of said inner surface of said hard outer layer and substantially less than the entire of said outer surface of said inner foam layer and defines a plurality of air gaps between hard outer layer and said inner foam layer.

13. A car seat according to claim 12, wherein:

said plurality of layers of said inner seat comprises a cover layer extending over said inner foam layer and attached to said protective shell.

14. A car seat according to claim 12, further comprising:

a seat cover extending over said inner seat and at least a portion of a rim of said outer protective shell.

15. A car seat for an occupant and adapted for use on a seat of a car, comprising:

a) an outer protective shell formed from at least one of carbon fiber and aramid fiber, said outer protective shell including two side walls, a back wall and a front wall;

b) an inner seat protected by said outer protective shell and formed from a plurality of layers including at least one foam layer;

c) a suspension system coupling and permitting relative movement between said inner seat and said outer protective shell, said suspension system having at least seven webs suspending said inner seat substantially within said outer protective shell;

d) a harness adapted to hold the occupant in the inner seat and not attached to the outer protective shell, said harness including at least one belt.

16. A car seat according to claim 15, further comprising:

e) a handle connected to said two side walls of said outer protective shell; and

f) an anchor connected to said outer protective shell, said anchor including a web.

17. A car seat according to claim 15, wherein:

said inner seat is scooped in shape and has a relatively high back, a deep seat area extending from said back, and a slightly rising forward surface extending from said deep seat area, and said at least one belt including a central belt portion extending from said slightly rising forward surface, and two shoulder belt portions extending from said relatively high back.

18. A car seat according to claim 17, wherein:

said inner seat comprises a plurality of layers including a hard outer layer with an inner surface, a substantially uniform inner foam layer with an outer surface facing said inner surface of said hard layer, and a cushioning spacer layer between said inner surface of said hard outer layer and said outer surface of said cushioning spacer layer, wherein said cushioning spacer layer covers substantially less than the entire of said inner surface of said hard outer layer and substantially less than the entire of said outer surface of said inner foam layer and defines a plurality of air gaps between hard outer layer and said inner foam layer.

19. A car seat according to claim 15, wherein:

said car seat weighs less than 4 kg.