AU2016204357A1 - Child Safety Seat - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A child safety seat for use with a harness and a vehicle seat belt, the seat including: a body adapted to receive the child therein, the body having a backrest portion and seat portion; a headrest mounted to the body and configured to be extendible from an upper end of the backrest portion of the body; and at least one aperture formed in the headrest to provide a passage for the harness to pass therethrough to be secured with respect to an anchorage point on the vehicle positioned behind the body, wherein the at least one aperture is located in a portion of the headrest located above the upper end of the backrest portion of the body. qA

Description

CHILD SAFETY SEAT

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

The present application is a divisional application of Australian Patent Application No. 2008261158 which claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2007907014 filed on 21 December 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Field of the Invention

The present application relates to child safety seats for use in vehicles. Background of the Invention

In order to transport infants and young children in vehicles, it is required that they be restrained to the vehicle by way of specially constructed seats. A variety of different types of seating arrangements exist to accommodate children of different ages. For infants up to the age of six months, rear-facing seats are typically employed. Rear-facing seats are secured to the vehicle such that the infant back is facing away from the direction of travel of the vehicle and the infant is restrained in the seat by way of a harness arrangement that is typically integrated into the seat.

As a child grows and infant seats are no longer suitable, a variety of forwardfacing seat options are available for use. Such forward facing seats may employ harness arrangements that are integrated into the seat, or may be arranged to cooperate with the shoulder/lap seat belt system provided with the vehicle.

For older children, a variety of “booster” seats are available to accommodate the child until they grow to a size and weight suitable to use the vehicles installed shoulder/lap seat belt systems. Such “booster” seats are typically designed to securely accommodate and elevate the child in a manner that enables the vehicle’s shoulder/lap seat belt system to be safely employed to restrain the child within the seat. In this regard, the booster seat need not be secured to the seat as the booster seat elevates the child in a manner that enables correct positioning of the shoulder/lap belts of the vehicle seat belt system about the child to secure both the child and the seat in position.

To provide added security and safety to the child, it has been proposed to provide “booster” seats with their own harness or add-on harness, to secure the child therein. Such harness systems may work independently of the vehicle’s shoulder/lap seat belt, or work in conjunction with the shoulder/lap seat belt. Typically, the harness systems proposed comprise a pair of straps that are arranged to extend over each shoulder of the child and laterally along either side of the child’s chest. The straps typically terminate at a buckle fitted between the child’s groin, or at a lap belt extending over the child’s lap. The position of the shoulder straps are typically adjustable to accommodate a variety of children. One common problem with such a harness system is that the shoulder straps are prone to slippage and parting during use, particularly as the child moves, resulting in the harness falling off the child’s shoulders and becoming ineffective as a restraint. Further, connecting a harness for use with a child safety seat may require significant effort and manual dexterity to pass or otherwise thread the straps of the harness through the backrest of the child safety seat to enable the harness to be secured to an anchorage location on the vehicle, typically located behind the child safety seat. This is further complicated when a child safety seat incorporates a moveable headrest.

There is a need to provide a child safety seat that is suitable for use with children of a variety of ages and sizes and which enables the seat to be used with a harness in a simple and effective manner.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a child safety seat for a vehicle, comprising: a body adapted to receive the child therein, the body having a backrest portion and a seat portion; a headrest mounted to the body and configured to be extendible from an upper end of the backrest portion of the body; and at least one recess formed in the headrest to provide a passage for a harness to pass therethrough to be secured with respect to an anchorage point on the vehicle positioned behind the body; wherein, the at least one recess is located in the headrest such that when the headrest is extended from the upper end of the backrest portion of the body, the harness passes through the at least one recess without contacting the body of the child safety seat.

In one embodiment, the headrest is mounted within a cavity formed in the backrest portion of the body and is extendible from the cavity through an opening formed in the upper end of the backrest portion of the body.

The headrest may be slidably mounted to the backrest portion of the body and may be movable to extend from or retract into the backrest portion to facilitate adjustment of the height of the headrest with respect to the backrest portion of the body.

The at least one recess may comprise a pair of slots or apertures formed in the headrest, each slot or aperture may be configured to receive a shoulder strap of the harness.

The present invention also provides a child safety seat for use with a harness and a vehicle seat belt, the seat including: a body adapted to receive the child therein, the body having a backrest portion and seat portion; a headrest mounted to the body and configured to be extendible from an upper end of the backrest portion of the body; and at least one aperture formed in the headrest to provide a passage for the harness to pass therethrough to be secured with respect to an anchorage point on the vehicle positioned behind the body, wherein the at least one aperture is located in a portion of the headrest located above the upper end of the backrest portion of the body.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a headrest for a child safety seat, the headrest comprising a body configured to be mounted to a backrest portion of the child safety seat so as to be extendible above an upper end of the backrest portion, wherein the body includes one or more recesses formed therein to receive one or more straps of a harness as the harness passes through the body to be secured to a dedicated anchorage location.

According to another aspect, the present invention also provides a headrest for use with a harness and a child safety seat having a backrest, the headrest having: a body mountable to the backrest so that a portion of the body is extendible above an upper end of the backrest, the body including one or more apertures for receiving one or more straps of the harness as the harness passes through the body to be secured to a dedicated anchorage location, wherein in the extended position the one or more apertures are located on the portion of the body above the upper end of the backrest.

The headrest may be mounted within a cavity formed in the backrest portion of the child safety seat such that the body is extendible from or retractable into the cavity.

The one or more recesses may comprise slots or apertures formed in the body of the headrest to receive a strap of the harness. In one form, a pair of slots or apertures are provided to receive a shoulder strap of harness such that the shoulder straps of the harness are maintained at a desirable separation with respect to a child seated within the seat.

The one or more slots or apertures may be formed in a stem portion of the headrest such that when the headrest is extended above the upper end of the backrest portion the harness passes through the headrest and is not in contact with the backrest portion of the child safety seat.

According to another aspect, the present invention is a restraint device for securing a child in a vehicle safety seat; comprising: a harness having a pair of shoulder straps configured to extend over the shoulders of the child and along lateral sides of the child’s chest so as to connect with a vehicle seat belt extending over the lap of the child; and a band member configured to be connectable between said shoulder straps of the harness so as to extend substantially across the child’s chest, said band member having a loop formed therein through which the vehicle seat belt passes as it extends over the lap of the child.

In one embodiment, the band member comprises a pair of sleeves through which the shoulder straps are received. Each sleeve may include one or more engagement members that engage with shoulder strap received therein. The engagement members may include one or more press studs, hook and loop fasteners and the like provided on both the sleeve and the shoulder strap to facilitate engagement therebetween. The band member may be configured so as to substantially cover the torso of the child when the child is positioned in the seat.

In another embodiment, each shoulder strap of the harness has one or more loops provided at a distal end thereof through which the vehicle seat belt passes as it extends over the lap of the child. The shoulder straps may be in the form of a single strap. The single strap may be connected at a central region thereof to a tether strap which in turn is connected to an anchorage point of the vehicle.

In another embodiment, the pair of shoulder straps may extend over an upper region of the seat so as to be secured to a vehicle anchorage point located behind the seat. In one form, the pair of shoulder straps may extend through one or more slots provided in the seat to facilitate securement of the shoulder straps to a vehicle anchorage point located behind the seat. The one or more slots may be formed in a backrest of the seat. Alternatively, the one or more slots may be formed in a headrest of the seat. The headrest may be adjustable in height with respect to the seat, such that adjustment of the height of the headrest may facilitate adjustment of the length of the pair of shoulder straps.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a harness for a child safety seat, the harness comprising: a pair of shoulder straps configured to extend over the shoulders of the child and along lateral sides of the child’s chest so as to connect with a vehicle seat belt extending over the lap of the child at a first end, and to an anchor point at a second end.

In one embodiment of this aspect, the first end of the pair of shoulder straps includes one or more loops for receiving the vehicle seat belt as it extends over the lap of the child. In one form, the second end of the shoulder straps may include one or more loops for facilitating connection with a spreader plate. In another form the second end of the shoulder straps may include a tether strap for facilitating connection to a vehicle anchorage point.

Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Brief Description of the Drawings

By way of example only, the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a band member of a child restraint system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a harness arrangement of a child restraint system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a child restraint system employing the band member of FIG. 1 and the harness arrangement of FIG. 2; FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a child restraint system of the present invention employed with a vehicle safety seat for a child; FIG. 4B is a front perspective view of yet another alternative embodiment of a child restraint system of the present invention employed with a vehicle safety seat for a child; FIG. 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a child restraint system of the present invention; FIG. 6A is a rear view of one embodiment of the arrangement of FIG. 5; FIG. 6B is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of the arrangement of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a harness arrangement according to the present invention; FIG. 8 is a front view of yet another embodiment of a child restraint system according to the present invention; FIG. 9 is a rear view of the child restraint system of FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the child restraint system shown in FIG. 8; and FIG.l 1 is a rear view of the child restraint system of FIG. 10.

Detailed Description of an Exemplary Embodiment of the Invention

One embodiment of a child restraint system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. The restraint system 10 generally comprises a harness arrangement 12 that is anchored to a vehicle anchorage point (not shown) by way of a hook 15 in combination with a tether strap 13. The tether strap 13 includes an adjuster mechanism 11 to enable adjustment of the length of the tether strap 13, as desired.

The harness arrangement 12 is shown in isolation in FIG. 2, and includes a pair of shoulder straps 14 arranged to extend over the shoulders of a child seated in a suitable safety seat and along opposing sides of the child’s chest. In the embodiment as shown, the shoulder straps 14 are formed as a single strap connected at a central point to the tether strap 13. However, it will be appreciated that the shoulder straps 14 may be separate straps and connected to the tether strap 13 in a variety of ways and still fall within the spirit of the present invention.

The shoulder straps 14 have a series of closed loops 16 provided adjacent a distal end thereof. The loops 16 are preferably formed of the same material as the shoulder straps 14, for example a woven material. In this regard, the loops 16 are formed by stitching the material to the shoulder straps to form loops 16 of a desired size and at a desired location along the length of the shoulder straps 14. Alternatively, the shoulder straps 14 may be a continuous length of material folded back upon itself, with the loops 16 formed by stitching the material at regular intervals.

As shown, the loops 16 are provided such that a belt 17 of the vehicle seat belt system can be to threadingly received through the loops 16 in the manner as shown. In this arrangement, the shoulder straps 14 of the harness 12 are secured at one end to the vehicle anchorage point by way of tether strap 13, and at the other end to the vehicle seat belt system by way of loops 16.

In the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, three sets of loops 16 are provided and/or formed at the distal ends of each shoulder strap 14. This allows the harness system 12 to be supplied in a “one-size-fits-all” manner, as the harness 12 can be readily adjusted by using different combination of loops 16 to accommodate children of different sizes and ages. It will be appreciated that whilst three sets loops 16 are shown, the actual number of loops 16 within a set may vary and still fall within the spirit of the present invention.

To further restrain the child within a safety seat, the child restraint system 10 includes a band member 18. The band member 18 is shown in more detail in FIG. 1 and comprises a piece or pieces of material shaped to extend across the child’s chest and torso region. Such an arrangement ensures that, even in the event that one or both of the shoulder straps 14 slip off the shoulder of the child, the band member will extend across the child’s chest to restrain the child in the seat.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper region of the band member 18 is shaped to form a collar 18a that is received below the neck of the child. The collar 18a is substantially U or V-shaped to provide clearance between the collar 18a and the child’s neck, so as to prevent the band member applying pressure to the child’s neck when positioned. The band member 18 can be made in a variety of materials, such as a mesh, fabric, PVC and the like. The type of material used may be chosen with respect to the strength of the material as well as other properties, such as comfort, ability to be cleaned, breathability and the like.

The band member 18 comprises a pair of sleeves 19 extending along the lateral sides thereof, through which the shoulder straps 14 are received. To correctly position the band member 18 on the shoulder straps 14, an engagement member 21 is provided within the sleeves 19. In the embodiment as shown, the engagement member 21 is in the form of a press-stud, which engages with one or more press-studs formed on the surface of the shoulder straps 14. It will be appreciated that the engagement member may also be in the form of a hook and loop fastener, such as Velcro®, or any other suitable arrangement which provides engagement between the straps 14 and the sleeves 19.

The bottom portion of the band member 18 is configured to form a closed loop 20. The closed loop 20 is sized to receive the belt 17 of the vehicle seat belt system in the manner as shown in FIG. 3. In this arrangement, the band member 18 is secured to the seat belt system of the vehicle to prevent the band member 18 from riding up around the neck of the child during use. Further, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the band member 18 is arranged such that it is secured to the harness 12 and the belt 17 of the vehicle’s seat belt system. This is achieved independently to any safety seat arrangement, thereby enabling the child restraint system 10 to be used with a variety of different safety seats, or in the absence of a safety seat.

Referring to FIG. 4A, a child restraint system 22 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is shown in use with a vehicle child safety seat, such as a booster seat 24. The child restraint system 22 is substantially identical to the child restraint system 10 described above, and for reasons of clarity, the same reference numerals will be used to describe similar features.

The main difference between the child restraint system 22 and the child restraint system 10 is that in the system 22 the shoulder straps 14 are formed as separate straps that extend back to the hook member 15 directly, rather than by way of the tether strap 13. In this regard, a plurality of slots 25 are provided through the backrest portion of the seat 24 to provide a passage for the straps 14 to pass therethrough. Alternatively, the straps may extend over the top of the seat, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8. The hook member 15 is attachable to a vehicle anchorage point 23, which is located in a variety of positions within the vehicle.

In an alternative embodiment, an extension strap (not shown) may be attached to the hook member 15 to lengthen the reach of straps 14. Such an extension strap may be connected to the anchorage point 23 of the vehicle at a one end, by way of a hook member similar to hook member 15. The other end of the extension strap may comprise a connector to receive hook member 15 of the shoulder straps, thereby extending the reach of shoulder straps 14. The extension strap may include an adjustor to further assist in adjusting the system to suit the needs of the child or vehicle.

To adjust the length of the shoulder straps 14, an adjuster mechanism (not shown) may be provided in one or both of the straps 14. The adjuster mechanism may be located in the region of the strap between the seat 24 and the hook 15, or in the region adjacent the band member 18. FIG. 4B shows an adjuster mechanism 14a provided to adjust the shoulder straps 14 in the region adjacent the band member 18. The adjuster mechanism 14a is located within the sleeve 19 of the band member 18 so as to isolate the body of the mechanism 14a from contact with the child. The sleeve 19 provides padded protection about the adjuster mechanism 14a such that the adjuster mechanism 14a does not come into direct contact with the child, thereby reducing the likelihood of injury.

In the arrangement as shown in FIG. 4, the restraint system 22 is not secured to the seat 24 but rather to the vehicle at an upper region, by way of the vehicle anchorage point 23, and at a lower region, by way of the belt 17 of the vehicle seat belt system. As such, the restraint system can be used with a variety of seating arrangements and is not limited to use with a specific seat.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6a, and 6B the child restraint system 10 of FIGS. 1 - 3 is shown in use with an alternative child safety seat 30. The seat 30 is a booster seat type of child vehicle safety seat and includes an adjustable headrest 31. The headrest 31 has a handle arrangement 33 formed therein, which is capable of being gripped by a user to adjust the vertical height of the headrest 31 in the direction of the arrows A, as shown.

As is shown, the headrest 31 is configured to extend above the upper end of the backrest portion of the seat 20 such that it can be raised or lowered to increase or decrease the height of the seat 30 to accommodate older children of variable sizes. This may be achieved by the upper end of the seat having a recess, that extends into a space or cavity formed in the backrest that accommodates a stem or body portion of the headrest 31, as shown. In this arrangement, the stem or body portion of the headrest can be retracted into or extended from the upper end of the backrest portion of the seat in the direction of arrow “A”, as desired. Other means for facilitating movement of the headrest 31 with respect to the backrest portion of the seat 30 are also envisaged.

One or more recesses, in the form of slots or apertures 32 are formed through the body or stem portion of the headrest 31, as shown. The slots or apertures 32 are configured to provide a path through the headrest 31 through which the shoulder straps 14 of the harness 12 may pass, as is clearly depicted. In this arrangement, as the slots or apertures 32 are provided in the headrest 31 that is located above the upper end of the backrest portion of the seat 30, the shoulder straps 14 of the harness 12 pass through the headrest 31 without being in contact with, or passing through, the backrest portion of the seat 30. Such an arrangement allows for an easier direct installation of the seat 30 when used with a harness 12, without the need to pass the straps 14 through the backrest portion of the seat 30.

In the specific embodiment as shown, rather than the distal ends of the straps 14 having a plurality of loops 16 formed therein, only a single loop is provided to receive the belt 17 of the vehicle seat belt system. Adjustment of the harness 12 to suit children of variable sizes and ages is achieved by adjusting the vertical extension of the headrest 31. By extending the headrest 31 from the seat 30, any slack in the straps 14 can be taken up by extending the distance travelled by the shoulder straps 14 as they pass through the slots 32. The harness 12 can be adjusted such that the band member 18 is firmly, yet comfortably located over the child’s chest in the manner as shown in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that the present invention also can be used with a conventional harness 12, without the need for a band member 18.

Two alternative embodiments of the rear of the seat 30 of FIG. 5 are shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. As can be seen, a tether 34 is provided to secure the seat 30 to an anchor point of the vehicle. The tether 34 comprises a first strap that extends from a first side of the seat 30, through the hook member 15, to terminate at an adjustor mechanism 35. A second strap then extends from the opposing side of the seat 30 and through the adjustor mechanism 35 such that the length of the tether 34 can be adjusted where applicable.

In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the shoulder straps 14 each pass through a looped end of the tether strap 13 such that there is some free movement of the shoulder straps 14 with respect to the tether strap 13 in the direction of arrows B. In Fig. 6A the other end of the tether strap 13 is directly secured to the hook member 15 of the tether 34 of the seat, such that it is then indirectly anchored to the vehicle. In Fig. 6B, a buckle 13a is provided to facilitate attachment of the tether strap 13 to the hook member 15 of the seat tether 34. It will be appreciated that the manner in which the shoulder straps 14 and the tether 34 are secured to the vehicle anchorage point may vary and may include shared components or separate connections.

The arrangement as shown in FIGS. 5, 6A and 6B may also be adapted such that rather than the straps 14 passing through the slots 32 formed in the headrest 31, the straps could extend over the top of the headrest 31. In this arrangement, recesses in the form of grooves or channels may be formed in the top of the headrest 31 to aid in positioning the straps 14 as they pass over the headrest 31. FIG. 7 shows yet another alternative embodiment of a harness 38 according to the present invention. For reasons of clarity, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to similar features as previously described in relation to the system of FIGS. 1-3.

The harness 38 comprises a pair of shoulder straps 39 that are configured to extend over the shoulders of the child and along opposing sides of the child’s chest, similar to that as is shown in FIG. 5. The harness 38 is shown for use without the band member 18, and in this regard a horizontal strap 40 is provided at a lower region of the straps 39 to extend across the chest of the child when worn. The horizontal strap 40 functions to maintain the shoulder straps 39 together to reduce the likelihood of slippage and parting of the shoulder straps 39 during use. It will be appreciated that the harness 38 could also be used with the band member 18 as described above.

As described in relation to the harness 12 of FIG. 2, harness 38 also comprises a series of closed loops 41 adjacent a distal end thereof. The closed loops 41 are configured to receive a belt 17 of the vehicle seat belt system as previously described, and the series of loops 41 provide a means for adjusting the harness position in accordance with the age and size of the child. The upper end of the shoulder straps 39 are also provided with a series of closed loops 42, substantially identical to the closed loops 41. As shown, loops 42 are provided to receive a spreader plate 44 to facilitate connection of the shoulder straps 29 to the anchorage point of the vehicle by way of the tether strap 13 and hook element 15. The manner in which spreader plates 44 function are well known in the art and the provision of multiple sets of loops 42 on the shoulder straps 39 also provides for a degree of adjustment of the upper region of the harness 38 to accommodate children of variable sizes. In this regard, the spreader plate can be secured to either set of loops 42 in accordance with the needs of the child. However it will be appreciated that only one set of loops 42 need be provided on the shoulder straps.

Yet another embodiment of a child restraint system according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this embodiment, the restraint system 45 is employed in association with a vehicle booster seat 46, however it will be appreciated that the restraint system 45 could also be used with a variety of child vehicle seats.

The restraint system 45 is configured to be restrained about the seat 46 in the manner as shown. In this regard, each shoulder strap 47 has a loop 48 formed at a first end to receive the belt 17 of the vehicle seat belt system. The other end of each shoulder strap 47 passes over the top of the seat 46 and through a plurality of slots 51 formed through the backrest of the seat 46, to terminate in a loop 49. The loop 49 facilitates connection of that end of the shoulder strap 47 to a spreader plate 50 that is located and secured at the rear of the seat 46. In this regard, the shoulder straps 47 of the harness are secured between the belt 17 and the spreader plate 50. The spreader plate 50 has a belt 52 attached thereto which is fed through the base of the seat 46 to the front thereof in the manner as shown in FIG. 8. The belt can be tightened or released, as required, to adjust the harness of the restraint system 45 to accommodate children of various ages and sizes. In this regard, an adjuster (not shown) may be incorporated into the base of the seat 46. FIGS. 10 and 11, show an alternative embodiment of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this embodiment, rather than the shoulder straps 47 extending over the top of the seat 46, they are each threaded through corresponding slots 51 formed in the backrest of the seat 46. The straps 47 are then weaved through the remaining slots 51 in the manner as shown in FIG. 11. Such an arrangement is particularly applicable for young or smaller sized children, as the straps are positioned with a smaller gap formed therebetween.

In the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 8-11, the restraint system 45 includes a band member 18. However, it should be appreciated that the harness arrangement of the restraint system 45 may also be used without the band member 18, in a manner similar to the arrangement of FIG. 7.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (8)

1. The claims defining the invention are as follows:

   1. A child safety seat for use with a harness and a vehicle seat belt, the seat including: a body adapted to receive the child therein, the body having a backrest portion and seat portion; a headrest mounted to the body and configured to be extendible from an upper end of the backrest portion of the body; and at least one aperture formed in the headrest to provide a passage for the harness to pass therethrough to be secured with respect to an anchorage point on the vehicle positioned behind the body, wherein the at least one aperture is located in a portion of the headrest located above the upper end of the backrest portion of the body.
2. 2. The child safety seat of claim 1, wherein the headrest is mounted within a cavity formed in the backrest portion of the body and is extendible from the cavity through an opening formed in the upper end of the backrest portion of the body.
3. 3. The child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein the headrest is slidably mounted to the backrest portion of the body and is movable to extend from or retract into the backrest portion to adjust the height of the headrest with respect to the backrest portion of the body.
4. 4. The child safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one aperture comprises a pair of apertures formed in the headrest, each aperture being configured to receive a shoulder strap of the harness.
5. 5. The child safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a tether configured to secure the body with respect to the vehicle anchorage point.
6. 6. A headrest for use with a harness and a child safety seat having a backrest, the headrest having: a body mountable to the backrest so that a portion of the body is extendible above an upper end of the backrest, the body including one or more apertures for receiving one or more straps of the harness as the harness passes through the body to be secured to a dedicated anchorage location, wherein in the extended position the one or more apertures are located on the portion of the body above the upper end of the backrest.
7. 7. The headrest of claim 6, wherein the body includes a stem portion mountable within a cavity formed in the backrest such that the stem portion is extendible from or retractable into the cavity.
8. 8. The headrest of claim 7, wherein the one or more apertures includes a pair of apertures, each aperture configured to receive a respective shoulder strap of the harness and spaced apart to maintain a desirable separation with respect to a user seated within the seat.