Pivotable reclining child safety car seat

• US 6,739,661 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David N. Dukes
• Original Assignee: David N. Dukes
• Inventors: Dukes, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/195,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 297/256.1, 297/250.1, 297/256.13, 297/329, 297/327, 297/328
• US Class Current: 297/256.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2875 inclinable, as a whole or partially

Abstract

A child safety seat pivots between a sitting and reclining position on a base secured by a vehicle safety belt. A pair of pivot arms extending from each side of the safety seat slide in a pair of grooves in each side of the base. The primary pivot arm moves in an essentially horizontal groove to maintain a low center of gravity. A secondary pivot arm stabilizes the safety seat and helps to maintain the safety seat back in close proximity with the vehicle seat back. A high pivot arm near the top of each side of the seat may be positioned in a mating opening or a slotted opening in each side of the base. A motor and reversible drive assembly, which may be remotely controlled can be used to move the safety seat.

Claims

1. A pivotable reclining child safety seat for a vehicle, which child safety seat maintains close proximity with the vehicle seat back and a low center of gravity in all positions, the child safety seat comprising:

a safety seat adapted for reclining and capable of supporting a child therein;

a base of adapted for supporting the safety seat and allowing relative motion therebetween;

at least one groove means in the base on each side of the seat and a pivotable protrusion means from the seat in each of the groove means for interconnecting the child safety seat and the base so the child safety seat adapted for moving through a range of positions from an upright sitting position to a reclined sleeping position and is adapted for maintaining close proximity with a vehicle seat back in the full range of positions, the at least one groove means being horizontally oriented to maintain the safety seat with a low center of gravity;

wherein the safety seat and the base are formed as a mating pair of molded hollow shells and the groove means and pivotable protrusion means are housed within the hollow shells; and

a motorized drive means, housed within the pair of molded hollow shells comprising at least one motor and at least one reversible drive means interconnecting the safety seat and the base adapted for moving the safety seat.

2. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 1 wherein the groove means comprise a pair of grooves on each side of the base and the pivotable protrusion means comprises a pair of pivotable arms extending from each side of the safety seat with one of the pair of pivotable arms in each of the pair of grooves, the pair of grooves configured so that the pivotable arms are adapted for sliding within the grooves moving the safety seat through the full range of positions while maintaining the seat back in close proximity with the vehicle seat back and maintaining a low center of gravity.

3. The pivotably reclining child safety seat of claim 2 wherein the pivotable arms each further comprise a rotatable wheel for rolling in the grooves.

4. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 2 further comprising a seat pivot arm adjacent to a top of the seat on each side of the safety seat and a base means for pivotally receiving the seat pivot arm on each side of the base.

5. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 4 wherein the base means for pivotally receiving the seat pivot arm comprises a slot on each side of the base adapted for receiving the seat pivot arm slidably therein.

6. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 1 wherein the reversible drive means comprises a motor housed within the base and connected to one of the shells and the motor drives a driving arm connected to the other of the shells to pivot the safety seat reversibly between a reclined position and an upright sitting position.

7. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 6 wherein the driving arm comprises a telescoping hydraulic drive arm.

8. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 6 further comprising a remote control means for the at least one motor.

9. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 8 wherein the remote control means is a remote control wired to the at least one motor.

10. The pivotable reclining child safety seat of claim 8 wherein the remote control means is a wireless remote control which transmits wireless signals to control the at least one motor.