Automobile Seat for Children With Visual Indicator of Harness Tightness and Corresponding Visual Indicator

• US 20100140997A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Renaudin, Francois, Biaud, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,272,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/250.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4841 for sensing belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an automobile seat for children. The seat includes a safety harness and a system of tightening the safety harness.

Claims

1. An automobile seat for children, comprising a safety harness and means of tightening of said harness, implementing a tightening strap circulating in a unidirectional jammer and of which a free end extends to the front of the seat portion of the seat, in such a way as to be able to be grasped and pulled by a user in order to tighten said harness,

wherein the seat comprises a visual indicator of correct tightness, mounted between said unidirectional jammer and said free end, and able to temporarily take a correct tightness indication position, at the moment when the user applies on said free end a tightening tension that is sufficient, in such a way that the user knows that the tightness is correct at the time of tightening, said free end being then not tight.

2. Automobile seat for children according to claim 1, wherein said visual indicator temporarily takes an insufficient tightness indication position, when tension is applied but is insufficient.

3. Automobile seat for children according to claim 1, wherein said visual indicator takes an inoperative indication position, when no action is carried out on said free end.

4. Automobile seat for children according to claim 1, wherein the seat portion of said seat has a viewing window across from which an information surface of said visual indicator is displaced.

5. Automobile seat for children according to claim 4, wherein said information surface comprises at least one separate zone for each one of said positions.

6. Automobile seat for children according to claim 4, wherein said visual indicator comprises an element mobile in rotation around an axis attached to the seat portion of said seat.

7. Automobile seat for children according to claim 4, wherein said visual indicator has a mobile part whereon circulates said tightening strap, said mobile part being conformed in such a way as to control the displacement of said indicator according to the tension of said tightening strap.

8. Automobile seat for children according to claim 4, wherein said visual indicator cooperates with means of retaining which tend to return it towards said insufficient tightness indication position and/or towards said inoperative indication position.

9. Automobile seat for children according to claim 8, wherein said means of retaining include a spiral spring mounted on an axis attached to the seat portion of said seat.

10. Automobile seat for children according to claim 3, wherein said visual indicator has:

a green colour, in said correct tightness indication position;

a red colour, in said insufficient tightness indication position;

a neutral colour, black, white or grey, in said inoperative indication position.

11. Automobile seat for children according to claim 1, wherein said visual indicator delivers a lighted piece of information.

12. Automobile seat for children according to claim 11, wherein said visual indicator comprises at least one light-emitting diode.

13. Automobile seat for children according to claim 11, wherein the seat comprises a tension sensor delivering an electrical signal relative to the tightness tension of the strap.

14. A visual indicator for an automobile seat for children, said seat comprising a safety harness and means of tightening of said harness, implementing a tightening strap circulating in a unidirectional jammer and of which a free end extends to the front of the seat portion of the seat, in such a way as to be able to be grasped and pulled by a user in order to tighten said harness,

wherein the visual indicator indicates correct tightness, and is mounted between said unidirectional jammer and said free end, and able to temporarily take a correct tightness indication position, at the moment when the user applies on said free end a tightening tension that is sufficient, in such a way that the user knows that the tightness is correct at the time of tightening, said free end being then not tight.