GB2277494A

GB2277494A - Vehicle child safety seat

Info

Publication number: GB2277494A
Application number: GB9301455A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lars Gustaf Ekstroem
Original assignee: Electrolux Klippan AB
Current assignee: Electrolux Klippan AB
Priority date: 1993-01-26
Filing date: 1993-01-26
Publication date: 1994-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2013-01-26
Also published as: DE4401913A1; GB9301455D0; GB2277494B

Description

2277494 DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A

CHILD SAFETY-SEAT ARRANGEMENT99 THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a child safety-seat arrangement in a motor vehicle.

various designs of child safety-seat for use in a motor vehicle have been proposed previously. Most of these child-seats incorporate a substantially rigid shell which defines the seat and which is provided with safety straps to retain the child in the safety-seat, the shell being associated with means to enable the shell to be mounted securely in position in the motor vehicle. In certain embodiments of prior proposed safety-seat, the shell has been so designed that the child safety-seat may be best positioned on the squab of a front passenger seat in the motor vehicle, so that the child, in the child safety-seat, is facing rearwardly. In such an arrangement the back of the child safety-seat typically rests on or is located extremely close to the dash-board in the vehicle in the region of the front passenger seat on which the safety- seat is located.

Many cars are now provided with so-called 'lairbags" which are adapted to be inflated, in the event that an accident arises, in order to provide a degree of protection for the driver and for the front-seat passenger of the vehicle. Typically such an 'lair-bag" for the front-seat passenger is contained initially within a recess present in the dash-board in front of the front passenger seat.

It has been found that if a child safety-seat of the type described above is positioned in a car which is provided with an air-bag of this type, if the air-bag inflates, due to an accident arising, the air-bag may propel the child safety-seat rearwardly with such a force that a child strapped in the safety-seat becomes ejected from the safety-seat. The child may be severely injured.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved child safety-seat arrangement.

According to this invention there is provided a child safety-seat arrangement in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle being provided with an air-bag in a dashboard in front of a front passenger seat, the child safety-seat arrangement comprising a child seat having a substantially rigid shell, the child seat being located in position in the front seat of the vehicle, the child seat facing rearwardly of the vehicle, with means retaining the child-seat in position, there being a strap extending from"the position on the shell to a substantially fixed point on the motor vehicle, the strap being associated with a retractor mechanism adapted to tension the strap and adapted to prevent strap from being paid out from the retractor mechanism to prevent rearward movement of the child seat.

Preferably the retractor mechanism is mounted on the motor vehicle, and conveniently the retractor mechanism is mounted beneath the dash-board of the vehicle. The strap be connected to the child-seat at a point adjacent the top of the back of the seat and the retractor may be positioned so that the strap extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the back of the child-seat.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the retractor may be mounted on the rear of the child-seat and the free end of the strap may be connected to an appropriate point on the motor vehicle.

Conveniently the retractor mechanism is provided with a spring biassed spool adapted to wind in the belt, and a ratchet adapted to lock the spool to prevent withdrawal of the belt, manually operated means being provided to dis-engage the ratchet. In an alternative embodiment the retractor is provided with a spring biassed spool adapted to wind in the belt and a locking mechanism adapted to lock the spool to prevent withdrawal of the belt in response to a predetermined acceleration of the vehicle and/or withdrawal of the belt from the spool at a rate greater than a predetermined rate. Conveniently the strap and retractor are associated with force limiting means.

Advantageously the force limiting means comprise the strap, the strap being made of a material having predetermined elastic properties. Thus the strap may be such that, when a significant force is applied to the strap, the strap will "stretch" thus permitting some slight movement of the child safety-seat, but preventing significant movement of the child safety-seat. A similar force limiting effect may be achieved by providing force limiting means in the form of a deformable element associated with the means mounting the retractor and/or the means connecting the strap to the child safety-seat. The deformable element would be so designed that it deforms slightly when the strap is subjected to significant force.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention means are provided spacing the back of the child-seat from the dash-board.

It is to be appreciated that in a preferred embodiment of the invention means are provided on the child-seat adapted to co-operate with an adult seat-belt associated with the said front seat to retain the child seat in position on the said front seat.

The invention also relates to a child safety-seat adapted to be mounted on the front seat of a motor vehicle in a rearwardly facing position, the child safety-seat comprising a substantially rigid shell, the seat being provided with a strap adapted to extend from a position on the shell to a substantially fixed point on the motor vehicle, the strap being associated with a retractor mechanism adapted to tension the strap and adapted to prevent strap from being paid out from the retractor mechanism.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic side view of a child safety-seat arrangement in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, a child safety-seat arrangement 1 is illustrated in position in a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle incorporates a front passenger seat 2, which has a squab 3 and a back 4.

A Located in front of the front passenger seat 2 is a dashboard 5. An airbag (not shown) is mounted within the dash-board 5 and is adapted to be inflated, in the event that an accident should arise, to provide a degree of protection for a passenger travelling in the front passenger seat 2.

A conventional adult safety-belt 6, only part of which is illustrated, is associated with the front passenger seat 2.

The child safety-seat 1 has a rigid shell 7 formed of plastic or the like, the shell 7 defining a seat portion 8, having arm rests and a back portion 9, which has a rear face 10. Located centrally on the rear face 10, and towards the top of the rear face is a mounting point 11. Safety straps 12 are provided connected to the shell 7 to secure a child in. position in the child safety-seat 1.

Connected to the mounting point 11 is one end of a webbing strap 13, the other end of which is received within a retractor mechanism 14 which is mounted on the under-part of the dash-board 5. The retractor mechanism 14 is a relatively simple retractor including a spring biassed real and an associated ratchet, there being manually operable means to disengage the ratchet. The ratchet may normally be in a condition where it prevents withdrawal of a belt mounted on the reel. The manually operable means, which may take the form of a push-button, can be actuated to disengage the ratchet, permitting a length of belt to be withdrawn from the reel. The belt may then be connected to a mounting point 11 on the rear face 10 of a seat. If the manual control is then released, the spring bias on the reel will wind in any "slack" in the belt, making the belt tight and the ratchet will then prevent the further withdrawal of belt unless the manually operable means are again operated.

Alternatively, the retractor mechanism may be equivalent to the retractor mechanism usually utilised with a safety belt. This type of retractor mechanism incorporates a spring biassed spool to withdraw the strap 13 into the retractor mechanism, but the retractor mechanism is provided with locking means adapted to lock the mechanism to prevent the withdrawal of belt from the spool, the locking means being actuated either in response to acceleration of the vehicle in excess of a predetermined limit or in response to withdrawal of the belt from the spool at a rate which is greater than a predetermined rate.

The seat portion 8 of the child safety-seat 1 is provided with an extending cranked arm 15. The arm 15 extends from the front of the child safety-seat 1, and thus extends towards the back 4 of the seat 2. When the child seat is in position the seat portion 8 of the child-seat rests on the squab 3 of the adult seat 2, the end of the cranked arm 15 abutting the front part of the back 4 of the adult seat 2. The safety- belt 6 associated with the seat 2 may pass over the cranked arm 15, thus retaining the child safety-seat 1 in position. The safety-belt 6 may also pass around the back 9 of the child safety-seat 1 to retain the child safety-seat 1 in position.

It is to be noted that when the child safety-seat is in position, the rear face 10 of the back 9 of the child-seat is spaced from the dash- board 5. The size of in the spacing is not critical, but it is preferred that the spacing is as large as possible.

It is to be appreciated that when the child safety-seat arrangement as described is in use a child will be present within the child safety-seat and will be strapped into that seat by the safety straps 12 associated with the seat, but not shown in the accompanying drawing. The seat will be maintained in position by the action of the adult bolt 6. The slight tension applied to the strap 13 by the retractor mechanism 14 assists in holding the child-seat 1 firmly in position.

Should an accident arise, causing the air-bag within the dash-board 5 to inflate, and the air-bag will apply force or pressure to the rear face 10 of the childseat 1 tending to move the child-seat rearwardly of the vehicle. However, rearward movement of the child-seat is prevented by the strap 13, since withdrawal of the strap 13 from the retractor mechanism 14 is prevented.

It is envisaged that it may be desirable of the combination of the strap 13 and the retractor mechanism 14 to provide a force limiting effect. In other words, the strap 13 and retractor mechanism 14 should not operate to stop movement of the child safetyseat 1 suddenly, since such a sudden cessation of movement may itself be undesirable. Thus it is envisaged that the strap 13 may be made of a material that has some degree of resilience, thus enabling the protracted part of the strap 13 to extend slightly when an air-bag impinges on the rear face 10 of the back 9 of the child safety-seat 1. Of course, the same effect may be obtained in different ways. The retractor mechanism 14 may be mounted on a deformable mounting plate, adapted to deform when subjected to a significant force, or the mounting 11 may include a deformable component.

The mounting point 11 may be at any convenient location on the rear face 10 of the back 9 of the child safety-seat 1, but it is preferred that the mounting point is located at least towards the top part of the seat. The retractor mechanism 14 may be at any convenient location. Whilst a position beneath the dashboard 5, as illustrated, is convenient, since the retractor is accessible, whilst being in a substantially concealed position in which it does not in any way obstruct the person using the motor vehicle, the retractor may be floor-mounted or may even be mounted at a higher position. It is preferred that the angle established between the strap 13 and the rear face 10 of the back 9 of the seat should be substantially perpendicular.

In most vehicles presently manufactured the length of the adult safetybelt 6 is such that the belt 6 can only engage the child safety-seat 1 in the manner illustrated when the adult seat has been adjusted to be in its rear-most position, and then the back 9 of the child safety-seat I is spaced from the dash-board 5. However, if the child safety-seat 1 is to be used in a vehicle in which, when the child safety-seat is strapped into position, the back 9 of the child safety-seat 1 is adjacent the dashboard 5, a spacer element 16 may be provided, as illustrated in phantom in the accompanying drawing. The spacer element 16 may be located in position between the rear face 10 of the back 9 of the child safety-seat I and the dash-board in order to ensure that there is a predetermined minimum spacing between the 1 lbw rear face 10 of the back 9 of the child safety-seat 1 and the dash-board 5. Such a spacing element may take any appropriate form.

It is to be understood that the strap 13 will operate to prevent rearward movement of the child safetyseat when an air-bag within the dash-board 5 is inflated and also will prevent rearward movement of the child safetyseat 1 which might arise if the motor vehicle in which the child safetyseat arrangement is provided is involved in a rear impact.

It is to be appreciated that the child safetyseat 1 arrangement described above operates in a satisfactory manner regardless of the positioning of the adult seat 2. Thus, if the adult seat is in its fully forward position or in its rear-most position, the child safety-seat will operate in the manner described.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A child safety-seat arrangement in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle being provided with an air-bag in a dash-board in front of a front passenger seat, the child safety-seat arrangement comprising a child seat having a substantially rigid shell, the child seat being located in position in the front seat of the vehicle, the child seat facing rearwardly of the vehicle, with means retaining the child-seat in position, there being a strap extending from the position on the shell to a substantially fixed point on the motor vehicle, the strap being associated with a retractor mechanism adapted to tension the strap and adapted to prevent strap from being paid out from the retractor mechanism to prevent rearward movement of the child seat.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 wherein the retractor mechanism is mounted on the motor vehicle.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 2 wherein the retractor mechanism is mounted beneath the dash-board of the vehicle.

4.

4. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the said strap is connected to the child-seat at a point adjacent the top of the back of the child-seat.

5. An arrangement according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the positioning of the retractor is such that the strap extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the back of the child-seat.

1 k_ 6. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the retractor mechanism is provided with a spring biassed spool adapted to wind in the belt, and a ratchet adapted to lock the spool to prevent withdrawal of the belt, manually operated means being provided to dis- engage the ratchet.

7. An arrangement according to any one of Claims I to 5 wherein the retractor is provided with a spring biassed spool adapted to wind in the belt and a locking mechanism adapted to lock the spool to prevent withdrawal of the belt in response to a predetermined acceleration of the vehicle and/or withdrawal of the belt from the spool at a rate greater than a predetermined rate.

8. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the strap and retractor are associated with force limiting means.

9. An arrangement according to Claim 8 wherein the force limiting means comprise the strap, the strap being made of a material having predetermined elastic properties.

10. An arrangement according to Claim 9 wherein the force limiting means comprise a deformable element associated with the means mounting the retractor and/or the means connecting the strap to the child safety-seat.

11. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein means are provided spacing the back of the child-seat from the dash-board.

12. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein means are provided on the child- seat adapted to co-operate with an adult seat-belt associated with the said front seat to retain the childseat in position on the said front seat.

13. A child safety-seat adapted to be mounted on the front seat of a motor vehicle in a rearwardly facing position, the child safety-seat comprising a substantially rigid shell, the seat being provided with a strap adapted to extend from a position on the shell to a substantially fixed point on the motor vehicle, the strap being associated with a retractor mechanism adapted to tension the strap and adapted to prevent strap from being paid out from the retractor mechanism.

14. A child safety-seat arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

15. A child safety-seat substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

16. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.