AU2007234588A1 - Anti-rebound member for child safety seat - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

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SAUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990

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z COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT 00 ORIGINAL 00 oO Name of Applicant: Britax Childcare Pty Ltd Actual Inventor: Wieslaw Maciejczyk Address for Service: MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: ANTI-REBOUND MEMBER FOR CHILD SAFETY SEAT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

SPatAUI32 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a child safety seat for a vehicle. In a particular form, the present invention relates to an anti-rebound bar for a child safety

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Z seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 00oO Child safety seats for vehicles are now commonly mandated as a requirement 00 where infants are to be transported in a vehicle. This is due to the increased

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protection they provide to a child in the event of a car collision. There are many different types of safety seat designs, ranging from those which are C1 designed specifically for infants and hence are configured to adopt a generally prone rearward facing orientation to those which stand generally upright and face in the direction of travel of the vehicle and are more suitable for older children. Additionally, there are safety seats which may be changed into either of these configurations thereby saving on the cost and inconvenience of having to replace the safety seat as a child grows.

For these multi-configuration safety seats it is often a requirement that a portion of the safety seat be able to perform a different function for each configuration. One example of this multifunction approach is to employ the anti-rebound member that is deployed when the seat is in the generally prone rearward facing orientation as a support member to support the child safety seat when the seat is in the generally upright forward facing direction.

One example of this approach is described in Australian Patent Application No. 56006/96 where the anti-rebound bar is rotatable about a pivot axis to form a support member. However, this device is not lockable in the antirebound bar position. Accordingly there is a potential for a gap or opening to be introduced between the anti-rebound bar and the safety seat during a vehicle collision. This could then present a safety hazard to an infant as a limb may be inadvertently caught in this gap prior to the rebound of the safety seat following the collision, thereby causing further injury. Furthermore, if the Santi-rebound bar is able to swing freely about the pivot axis then this can make installation of the safety seat into the vehicle difficult as the anti- 0 Z rebound bar will have to be held in position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined anti-rebound bar 00 00 and support member for a child safety seat capable of providing increased safety for the occupant of the safety seat and/or ease of installation.

Cc, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION N In a first aspect the present invention accordingly provides an anti-rebound member for a child safety seat, the anti-rebound member operable to be used in an engaged position when the safety seat is configured in a generally prone rearward facing direction on a vehicle seat to aid in preventing rebound of the safety seat during a vehicle collision, the safety seat including a seat portion and a back rest portion for seating an infant, the anti-rebound member including: pivotable attachment means to allow the anti-rebound member to be rotated about a pivot axis and re-configured as a support member to abut the vehicle seat when the safety seat is configured in a generally upright forward facing position; and engagement means located on the rebound member to removably engage with corresponding engagement means located on the seat, wherein the anti-rebound member further includes pivot axis varying means to vary the location of the pivot axis of the anti-rebound member with respect to the safety seat to allow the anti-rebound member to removably engage with the seat to lock the anti-rebound member into the engaged position.

By allowing the pivot axis of the support member to vary, this introduces a further degree of freedom of movement for the anti-rebound member. This results in the anti-rebound member being able to be easily manipulated to Slock the anti-rebound member into the engaged position.

0 Z Preferably, the pivot axis varying means includes sliding means to vary the location of the pivot axis.

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00 Preferably, the support member is pivotably mounted to the safety seat by a 00 bolt and hinge arrangement.

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0 10 Preferably, the sliding means includes an elongate slot located on the antirebound member to slide along a shank of the bolt to vary the extension of the anti-rebound member with respect to the safety seat.

Preferably, the engagement means includes a plug or dowel portion located on the anti-rebound member.

Preferably, the corresponding engagement means includes receiving apertures, the receiving apertures adapted to engage with the plug or dowel portion located on the anti-rebound member.

Preferably, the receiving apertures include a snap-fit region to snap-fit to the plug or dowel portion.

Preferably, the safety seat includes a recess or aperture to receive a portion of the support member.

Preferably, the anti-rebound member is of a generally U-shaped configuration having a pair of arms each pivotably attached on opposed sides to a base portion of the safety seat.

Preferably, when the anti-rebound member is configured as the support Smember, the support member is operable to allow variation of the angle of recline of the safety seat with respect to the vehicle seat.

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In a second aspect the present invention provides a child safety seat incorporating the anti-rebound member in accordance with the first aspect of 00 oO the invention.

oO Cc, C BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS S 10 A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a top side rear perspective view of an anti-rebound member for a child safety seat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a detailed side view of the anti-rebound member illustrated in Figure 1 as adjusted to the reclined position; FIGURE 3 is an underside perspective view of the anti-rebound member illustrated in Figure 1 disengaged from the safety seat ready to be adjusted; FIGURE 4 is a side bottom perspective view of the anti-rebound member detached from the safety seat; FIGURE 5 is a detailed side view of the anti-rebound member illustrated in Figure 1 as adjusted to the upright position; FIGURE 6 is a front perspective view of the anti-rebound member illustrated in Figure 1 locked in the engaged position.

In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to Figures 1 to 5, there is shown an anti-rebound member for a safety seat 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Safety seat 100 is formed from moulded plastic and generally includes a back

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Orest portion 140, a pair of side portions 110 which function to prevent sideways movement of a child in the event of a collision and a seat portion

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Z 120. Safety seat 100 may be configured to adopt a generally upright forward facing position for the seating of a toddler or alternatively be configured in the generally prone rearward facing position that is more suitable for an 00 00 infant (see Figure 6).

The anti-rebound member in the generally upright forward facing 0 10 configuration functions a support member 130 including a pair of arm members 134 joined by an end member 135 forming a generally U-shaped configuration. When the seat 100 is in the upright configuration, support member 130 is placed on the vehicle seat surface (not shown) to support the safety seat 100. A pair of seat back rest abutment portions 142 which form part of the rear section 140 of safety seat 100 abuts against the back rest of the vehicle seat with the safety seat 100 secured to the vehicle seat by virtue of the vehicle's seat belt.

Each arm member 134 is pivotably attached at its end to respective attachment points located on base portion 145 of safety seat 100 by a bolt or pin 133 located on base portion 145 of seat 100 and slot or aperture 132 located on each arm member 134 thereby forming a pivot axis about which the angle of recline of the safety seat 100 can be varied with respect to the vehicle seat.

This forms a slidable hinge arrangement that allows the arm members 134 to pivot about each bolt 133 at varying extensions with respect to safety seat 100 depending on the location of bolt 133 with respect to the slot 132 on each arm member 134 in the process functioning as a pivot axis varying means to vary the location of the pivot axis of the support member 130 with respect to the safety seat 100. This is due to the ability of each slot 132 to slide along the shank of respective bolt 133.

Whilst in this embodiment, slot 132 is elongate and linear, the slot may also be 0 curved depending on the requirements. Accordingly, the interaction of slot

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>132 and bolt 133 forms sliding means allowing the location of the pivot axis 0 Z along each arm member 134 of support member 130 to be varied thereby providing another degree of freedom of movement for the support member 130. Each arm member 134 is also received into a respective recess 148 in base o00 portion 145 (as best seen in Figures 3 and 4) that functions to reduce sideways 00 movement of the support member 130.

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S 10 Although in this preferred embodiment the slot 132 is located on each of the arm members 134 of support member 130, equally the arms 134 could incorporate a fixed pin arrangement which interacts with a slot or groove located on the body of the vehicle seat 100, once again in effect allowing the location of the pivot axis of the support member 130 to vary with respect to the safety seat 100.

Support member 130 is located in position and engaged to safety seat 100 by a pair of dowel or plug portions 131 located on each arm member 134 which removably engage with respective detents 146, 147 formed in the base portion 145 of safety seat 100. Detents 146, 147 are located to vary the angle of recline of safety seat 100 with respect to support member 130 and are sized so that the plug or dowel portions 131 located on each arm member 124 snap fit into the respective detents 146, 147. First detent 147 corresponds to a generally reclined position (see Figure 2) whilst second detent 146 corresponds to a more upright orientation (see Figure To adjust the angle of recline of safety seat 100 from the reclined position (see Figure 2) to the more upright position (see Figure 5) or vice versa, support member 130 is detached or disengaged from base portion 145 by moving support member 130 away from the safety seat 100. This causes the plug or dowel portions 131 located on each arm member 134 to release from r respective detents 147 and to be pivoted about a pivot axis defined by the 0 0location of bolt 133 with respect to elongate slot 132. In this manner the extension of arm members 134 of support member 130 with respect to the Z location of bolt 133 can be varied. In this example, the support member 130 is moved closer to base portion 145 to engage dowel or plug portions 131 with detents 146 which corresponds to the more upright position. Comparing 00 00 Figures 2 and 5, the overall change in orientation of safety seat 100 with respect to support member 130 can be readily seen.

S 10 As would be apparent to those skilled in the art, the number of detents need not be limited to two and may be increased to include a variety of angles of adjustable recline as desired. Whilst in this embodiment the anti-rebound bar functioning as a support member 130 abuts the base of the vehicle seat, the present invention could equally be adapted to be attached to the rear or back portion of the safety seat to adjust the angle of recline by providing an abutting surface to the back rest of the vehicle seat.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown a safety seat 100 configured to the generally prone position suitable for an infant. In this configuration, support surface 141 which is formed as part of the moulding of seat 100 is placed on the vehicle seat. In this embodiment, support member 130 is pivoted about bolt arrangement 133 to the front of seat 100 and locked in position to form the anti-rebound bar 160. This prevents safety seat 100 from rebounding in the event of a collision by providing a supporting surface 161 which abuts against the back of the vehicle seat and prevents rotation of the safety seat 100 in an anti-clockwise direction (as shown).

In this configuration, anti-rebound bar 160 is locked into place by engagement means consisting of dowel or plug portions 131 snap-fitting into corresponding engagement means consisting of downwardly oriented receiving apertures 125 located on the front of the seat 100. Because of the elongate slots 132 located on arm members 134, the support member 130 can 0 Obe rotated into position and forced in a downwards direction to engage with receiving apertures 125, thereby preventing anti-rebound member from being

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Z able to move with respect to safety seat 100. Similarly, support member 130 in its present form as an anti-rebound bar 160 can be lifted to disengage dowel or plug portions 132 from receiving apertures 125 and repositioned as 00 00 required. OO Whilst in this preferred embodiment the anti-rebound member is configured S 10 as a pair of opposed arms, equally the anti-rebound member could be disposed of as a plate member having a substantially planar surface that rests or abuts against either the base or the back rest of the vehicle seat.

A brief consideration of the above described embodiment will indicate that the invention provides an extremely simple and easy to use adjustable antirebound member which is effective to improve the safety of the child safety seat by providing an engagement means which is integrated with the pivoting function of the anti-rebound member to lock the anti-rebound member in the anti-rebound position.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. An anti-rebound member for a child safety seat, the anti-rebound z member operable to be used in an engaged position when the safety seat is configured in a generally prone rearward facing direction on a vehicle seat to aid in preventing rebound of the safety seat during a vehicle collision, the 00 safety seat including a seat portion and a back rest portion for seating an 00 tk infant, the anti-rebound member including: pivotable attachment means to allow the anti-rebound member to be rotated about a pivot axis and re-configured as a support member to abut the vehicle seat when the safety seat is configured in a generally upright forward facing position; and engagement means located on the rebound member to removably engage with corresponding engagement means located on the seat, wherein the anti-rebound member further includes pivot axis varying means to vary the location of the pivot axis of the anti-rebound member with respect to the safety seat to allow the anti-rebound member to removably engage with the seat to lock the anti-rebound member into the engaged position.

2. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot axis varying means includes sliding means to vary the location of the pivot axis.

3. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support member is pivotably mounted to the safety seat by a bolt and hinge arrangement.

4. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the sliding means includes an elongate slot located on the anti- rebound member to slide along a shank of the bolt to vary the extension of the anti-rebound member with respect to the safety seat.

5. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in any one O Oof the previous claims, wherein the engagement means includes a plug or dowel portion located on the anti-rebound member. O z

6. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in claim wherein the corresponding engagement means includes receiving apertures, o00 the receiving apertures adapted to engage with the plug or dowel portion 00 located on the anti-rebound member.

7. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein the receiving apertures include a snap-fit region to snap-fit to the plug or dowel portion.

8. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the safety seat includes a recess or aperture to receive a portion of the support member.

9. The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the anti-rebound member is of a generally U- shaped configuration having a pair of arms each pivotably attached on opposed sides to a base portion of the safety seat.

The anti-rebound member for a child safety seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the anti-rebound member is configured as the support member, the support member is operable to allow variation of the angle of recline of the safety seat with respect to the vehicle seat.

11. A child safety seat incorporating the anti-rebound member of any one of the preceding claims.

12. An anti-rebound member substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 0 z

13. A child safety seat substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying 00 drawings. 00 mq