AU2010202448B2

AU2010202448B2 - Carriage System For a Child

Info

Publication number: AU2010202448B2
Application number: AU2010202448A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Richard Horsfall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-06-11
Filing date: 2010-06-11
Publication date: 2016-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 2030-06-11
Also published as: AU2010202448A1

Abstract

There is disclosed a system for securing a child to a seat of a vehicle comprising a first seat member mountable to the vehicle seat. A second seat member is provided for receiving a child therein. The second seat member is configured to be received within 5 the first seat member such that the second seat member is secureable to the vehicle seat. Wherein, in the absence of the second seat member, the first seat member is configured to receive a child therein such that the child is restrained in position with respect to the vehicle seat.

Description

CARRIAGE SYSTEM FOR A CHILD FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a system and apparatus for carrying and securing an infant in a vehicle, and in particular, to a system and device having a removable carriage 5 that enables a child to be removably secured to the vehicle without the need for separate handling of the child. BACKGROUND ART A variety of carriage devices exist for carrying or otherwise transporting a child, particularly in infant, in a supine position. Such devices are commonly referred to as 10 carry cots and comprise a shell into which the infant is received, and a handle portion which is attached to the shell for gripping by an adult or guardian of the child. The shell of the device is typically configured to provide a degree of protection to the child and is generally made from a sufficiently robust material, such as plastic or the like. The shell is also typically shaped and has an inner surface to receive the child and outer surface 15 that enables the shell to be supported in a stable position on a flat surface, thereby allowing the adult or guardian of the child to safely place the device on a ground surface or the like. In this regard, the handle may be employed to engage with the ground surface when not required, so as to provide further stability to the device. Various laws and regulations dictate the manner in which infants and children are to be 20 transported in vehicles, especially cars and the like. Most such laws require the infant/child to be restrained in a dedicated and approved child safety seat that is anchored or otherwise secured to a rear seat of the vehicle. The child safety seat may include a dedicated harness that restrains the child in position within the seat, or the child safety seat may utilise the vehicle seat belt or a separate harness to restrain the 25 child therein, depending upon the size and/or age of the child. As such, there exist a variety of types of child safety seats that are approved for use with children of a variety of ages and/or sizes. Type A seats typically refer to rear facing seats or capsules suitable for accommodating babies/infants up to around 6 months of age and/or 70 cm in length and up to 12 kg. Type B seats typically refer to forward 30 facing seats used to accommodate toddlers and young children from approximately 6 months to 4 years, or from 8 - 18 kg. Type E seats typically refer to booster seats and booster cushions used to accommodate children between 4 - 8 years old, or approximately from 14 - 32 kg, and which are typically used in combination with the vehicle seat belt. Some seats may be a combination type A/B or B/E to accommodate a 35 child as the child grows thereby avoiding the need to purchase, or otherwise source, a variety of different seats to accommodate a growing child. For Type A seats in particular, the act of placing an infant into the vehicle safety seat requires positioning the child such that they are correctly located in the seat and fastening them in position by using the harness typically provided with the child safety 5 seat. This act can be quite difficult to perform without causing some form of distress to the child, especially if the child is asleep and the act causes the child to awaken. Similarly, many parents employ a carriage, such as a carry cot, to transport the child to and from the vehicle. The child may be asleep and comfortable in the carry cot and in the act of transferring the child from the carry cot to the vehicle safety seat the child io may awaken and become distressed. Similarly, many infants may fall asleep whilst travelling in the vehicle and transferring the child from the vehicle safety seat to a carry cot at the end of a journey typically requires waking the child from their slumber and repositioning the child in the carry cot, which can be distressing to an infant. Child restraints comprising a removable infant carrier secured into a base unit that is in 15 turn fitted to a vehicle seat have previously been proposed for addressing this problem. Typically, such devices require the base unit to be securely restrained to the seat, with the base unit being dedicated solely for the purpose of receiving the carrier. As such, the base unit is typically unable to function as a seat in the absence of the removable carrier. Further, the carrier typically provided for use with such restraint systems is 20 often of a smaller size than most existing Type A restraints making it only suitable for use in the first few weeks/months of the child's life. Hence, an infant will quickly outgrow such a carrier resulting in the restraint being of little purpose to the parent after a short period of use. It is for this reason that many such units are hired by parents during the first few weeks/months of the child's life. 25 There is a need to provide a system for handling a child that enables easy and less disruptive transfer of a child between a carrying device and a vehicle safety seat. Further, there is a need to provide a system for handling a child that is capable of accommodating the child even after the child has become too large for the carry cot, but still requires a rearward facing safety seat. 30 The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification 35 of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part. STATEMENT OF INVENTION Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a child safety system for securing a child to a seat of a vehicle, the system comprising: a child safety seat configured to receive a child therein, the child safety seat being mountable to a seat of the vehicle; 5 a carriage configured to receive a child therein, the carriage mountable within the child safety seat; and connecting means configured to removably connect the carriage within the child safety seat, wherein the child safety seat includes a first shoulder harness arrangement for restraining the .0 child when the child is received within the child safety seat, and the carriage includes a second shoulder harness arrangement for restraining the child when the child is received within the carriage, and wherein the connecting means is additional to the shoulder harness arrangements. The carriage may be removably mounted to the child safety seat such that the carriage may be .5 securely retained to the seat of the vehicle by way of the child safety seat. The child safety seat may be configured to function as a conventional Type A, Type B or Type E child safety seat in the absence of the carriage. The carriage may comprise one or more engagement members formed thereon. The or each engagement member may be configured to cooperate with a corresponding engagement member 20 provided on the child safety seat when the carriage is received within the child safety seat. One or more of the engagement members may be in the form of a projection formed on the carriage that is received within a recess formed in the child safety seat. Alternatively, one or more of the engagement members may be in the form of a recess formed on the carriage that receives a projection formed in the child safety seat. The one or more engagement members may be lockable 25 to facilitate secure connection between the child safety seat and the carriage when the carriage is received within the child safety seat. In another aspect, the invention provides a carriage for carrying a child, comprising: a shell configured to receive a child therein; 3 a handle pivotally connected to the shell for carrying said carriage; and a shoulder harness arrangement for securing the child within said shell; and a connecting means for connecting the carriage within a child safety seat. In yet another aspect, there is provided a child safety seat for a vehicle comprising: 5 a body mountable to a seat of the vehicle and configured to receive the child therein, the body having a harness arrangement adapted to restrain the child within the body and connecting means for connecting a carriage within the body, wherein the connecting means is separate from the harness arrangement. Preferably, the seat includes one or more receiving members for receiving and removably locating .0 the carriage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which: Figure 1 is side view of a carry cot according to one embodiment of the present invention; .5 Figure 2 is a side view of the carry cot of Figure 1 with the leg members in the retracted position; Figure 3 is a side view of the carry cot of Figures 1 and 2 being positioned within a child safety seat in a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the arrangement of Figure 3 with the carry cot secured within the 20 child safety seat; Figure 5 is a rear view of the arrangement of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the arrangement of Figure 4; Figure 7 is a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the carry cot of Figures 1 and 2 being positioned within a child safety seat in a vehicle; 25 4 Figure 8 is a side perspective view of the arrangement of Figure 7 with the carry cot secured within the child safety seat; Figure 9 is an enlarged side view of one embodiment of a locking mechanism in a first position for use in securing a carry cot to a child safety seat in accordance 5 with the present invention; and Figure 10 is an enlarged side view of the locking mechanism of Figure 9 in a second locked position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular 1o reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. The present invention will be described below in relation to a Type A mode child safety seat for use in a vehicle in a rearward facing manner. It will be appreciated that the 15 present invention could equally be applicable to a variety of types and styles of child safety seats including Type B, Type A/B, Type A/B/E and Type B/E child seats and still fall within the spirit of the present invention. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a second seat member, such as an infant carriage device in the form of a carry cot 10. The carry cot 10 is used to accommodate a 20 child 12, in particular an infant, in a supine position for transportation. In this regard, the carry cot 10 comprises a shell 16 having a backrest portion 13 against which the infant's head and back is received and a base or seat portion 14 for receiving and supporting the infant's legs and posterior. A rim portion 15 extends about the periphery of the shell 16 to provide a protective frame about the child 12 when the child 12 is 25 positioned in the carry cot 10. A handle 11 is provided attached to opposing sides of the rim portion 15 to facilitate carrying of the carry cot 10. The handle 11 may be pivotally mounted to the shell 16 such that it is free to move in the direction of arrows A. It will be appreciated that the handle will be lockable in position such that it is fixed for carrying the child 12, as is shown in Figure 2. The handle 11 may be unlocked to 30 facilitate movement of the handle 11 such that it is positioned away from the child, and/or to assist in supporting the carry cot 10 in a free-standing position. It will also be appreciated that the handle may be locked against the backrest portion 13 or in other positions, when it is moved into a position away from the child so as to provide unimpeded access to the child.

In one embodiment, leg members 17 are provided to support the carry cot in a free standing position, as is shown in Figure 1. The leg members 17 are secured to the underside of the base or seat portion 14 of the shell 16 and are locked in position to securely support the carry cot 10 in a free-standing mode. The leg members 17 are 5 foldable or otherwise retractable against or into the shell 16, when not required, as is shown in Figure 2, and as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The inside of the shell 16 of the carry cot 10 is configured to receive the child in a comfortable and secure manner. In this regard, the carry cot 10 may comprise a harness 5, such as a conventional five, six or three point harness, to secure the child 12 within 10 the carry cot 10. The harness 5 typically comprises a pair of shoulder straps that secure the torso of the child 12 against the backrest 13 and a waist belt and or crutch strap to secure the hips of the child to the base or seat portion 14 of the shell 16. Various cushions or inserts may also be provided to aid in providing comfort to the child 12 when located therein. 15 It will be appreciated that carry cots 10 provide a convenient tool for transporting an infant in a supine position such that a sleeping infant can be transported with minimal disruption. At a head end and a foot end of the carry cot 10 are provided locating member 18 and lug 19 respectively. Locating member 18 is in the form of a projection that projects 20 inwardly from the rim portion 15 as shown. In a preferred form, the locating member 18 is flexible so as to grip a first seat member, such as a child safety seat in a manner to be discussed in more detail below. Locating lug 19 is in the form of one or more arm members that project from the rim portion 15 in a downward manner to be received in one or more respective recesses provided in a child safety seat. It will be appreciated 25 that locating member 18 and lug 19 may be interchangeable and may be in the form of locking members that releasably engage with the first seat member or child safety seat. The manner in which the locating lug 19 is received by the child safety seat will be described below in relation to Figures 3 - 6. In the present embodiment, the child safety seat 20 is a Type A/B child safety seat that is positioned in a rearward facing mode for 30 accommodating an infant. It will be appreciated that the first seat member or child safety seat 20 may alternatively be a Type A or other type safety seat. For ease of understanding, a tether strap for securing the child safety seat to a vehicle is not shown. However, it will be appreciated that a tether strap will typically be required when the child safety seat 20 is positioned in the vehicle, the tether strap being attachable to an 35 upper region of the seat 20 to be tethered to a dedicated anchorage point on the vehicle. It will also be appreciated that the vehicle seat belt may also be employed to secure the seat 20 in position on the seat of the vehicle in a conventional manner. The carry cot 10 is received within the interior 21 of the child safety seat 20. The interior 21 of the child safety seat 20 is that portion of the seat which typically accommodates a child. However, in the arrangement of the present invention, there is 5 no requirement to adapt or otherwise significantly alter the child safety seat 20 to receive the carry cot 10. As such, the carry cot 10, accommodating the child 12 therein, is simply lowered into the interior 21 of the child safety seat 20, where it is securely received within the interior thereof in a safe and secure manner. As the shape of the shell 16 of the carry cot 10 substantially conforms to the interior 21 of the child safety 1o seat 20, there is no requirement to remove the infant from the carry cot 10 thus enabling a child to be secured for travel in a vehicle with minimum disruption. As the carry cot 10 has its own harness arrangement 5, there is no need to further reposition or handle the child as the carry cot 10 is secured to the safety seat 20. Therefore, a sleeping child can be removed from or secured into the child safety seat 20 without the need to wake 1s or handle the child. The manner in which the carry cot 10 is secured in position with respect to the child safety seat 20 may take a variety of forms. One such arrangement is shown in relation to Figures 3 and 4. The carry cot 10 is lowered into the child safety seat 20 such that the locating lug 19 is received into a recess 22 provided on a front end of the seat 20. The 20 recess 22 is configured to snugly receive the lug 19 such that further lowering of the carry cot 10 into the seat 20 results in the front end of the carry cot 10 being securely retained in position with respect to the front end of the seat 20. This is shown more clearly in Figure 6. The top end of the carry cot 10 is configured to be positioned over the top end of the 25 seat 20. In this arrangement, the locating member 18 extends over a protrusion or ridge 23 provided on an outer surface of the backrest portion of the seat 20, thereby securing the top end of the carry cot 10 in position with respect to the seat 20. This arrangement is shown more clearly in Figure 5. In use, once te top end of the carry cot 10 is secured in position, the front end of the 30 carry cot 10 is then angled towards the front end of the seat 20 such that the lug 19 is received within the recess 22 as described above. Further movement of the lug 19 into the recess 22 results in the front end of the carry cot 10 being locked in position with respect to the front end of the seat 20. A variety of locking arrangements may be employed to lock the lug 19 into the recess 22. One such arrangement may include 35 providing a ridge on the lug 19 that engages with a corresponding ridge provided in the recess 22. The lug 19 may be spring-loaded or flexible such that to release the carry cot 10 the engagement may be broken by depressing the lug 19 and disengaging the corresponding ridges thereby releasing the locking action within the recess 22. When the carry cot 10 is securely positioned within the seat 20, the handle 11 can then be pivoted to a position adjacent the rim portion 15 of the shell 16 in the direction of 5 arrows A as shown in Figure 4. This, together with the securing of the front end of the carry cot 10 causes the carry cot 10 to be securely and safely located within the seat 20 during movement of the vehicle. As the child is securely retained within the shell 16 of the carry cot 10 and the carry cot 10 is itself securely retained within the seat 20, the child is safely restrained in the vehicle in event of an accident. io Referring to Figures 9 and 10, a further means for locking the carry cot 10 in position with respect to the seat 20 is shown. This locking means may be used as an alternative to the locking means discussed above or in addition to the above described locking means. The locking arrangement as shown utilises the rotating motion of the handle 11 of the carry cot 10 to engage/disengage with the seat 20. As such, the handle 11 has a 1s hook member 42 that projects from a pivot region of the handle. The hook members may be located at opposing sides of the handle 11 or may be located on one side only. A recess 40 is formed in the body of the seat 20 such that when the carry cot 10 is lowered into the seat 20, the hook member 42 is received within the recess 40. This action is shown by arrow C of Figure 9. 20 The handle 11 is then rotated in the direction of arrow B such that the handle is pivoted to be against the rim portion 15 and out of the way of the child. Movement of the handle 11 in the direction of arrow B causes the hook member 42 to move in the direction of arrow D of Figure 10, thereby engaging within the recess 40. As the recess 40 has a substantially L-shape, the hook engages within the recess 40 thereby preventing 25 removal of the carry cot 10 from the seat 20. As such, in order to remove the carry cot 10 from the seat 20, the handle II is returned to an upright position disengaging it from the seat 20. In order to remove the child from the vehicle, the carry cot 10 is merely removed from the seat 20 by disengaging the lug 19, locating member 18 and/or hook member 42 from 30 contact with the seat 20. Once the top end of the carry cot 10 is released, the handle 11 can then be gripped and the carry cot 10 lifted out of the seat 20 such that the locating lug 19 is removed from the recess 22. Such an action is simple and does not require unwrapping or unfastening of the child from the harness 5. Hence, if the child is asleep during passage of the vehicle, the sleeping child can be simply removed from the 35 vehicle without having to risk waking the child by removing them from their immediate environment. This is particularly important due to the fact that, for many infants, the motion associated with travelling in a vehicle often induces sleep and the need to wake the child to remove them from the seat, as is the case with many existing arrangements, can cause distress to both the child and the parent(s). An alternative arrangement for securing the carry cot 10 to the seat 20 is shown in 5 Figures 7 and 8. In this arrangement, rather than the carry cot 10 having a locating member 18 and a locating lug 19 for securing the carry cot 10 to the seat 20 at opposing ends, the carry cot 10 is secured at opposing sides to the seat 20 by way of a pair of downwardly projecting locking members 30. The locking members 30 extend from the rim portion 15 of the shell 16 at opposing sides thereof so as to be received in slots 35 1o formed on opposing sides of the seat 20 when the carry cot 10 is lowered into position within the seat 20. In the embodiment as shown, the locking members 30 have a central recess 31 fonned therein. The slots 35 are shaped to receive the locking members 30 and contain a locking mechanism (not shown) that secures about the recess 31 thereby interengaging 15 the carry cot 10 and the seat 20 in position. In this arrangement, in order to remove the carry cot 10 from the seat 20, the locking members 30 must be disengaged through depression of a button 36 located adjacent the side of the seat 20. Depression of the button 36 releases the locking members 30 thereby enabling the carry cot 10 and the child 12 to be gently lifted from the seat 20. This arrangement may be used as an 20 alternative to or to compliment any of the locking arrangements described above, as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be appreciated that the manner of engagement between the first seat member or child safety seat 20 and the second seat member or carry cot 10 may vary in accordance with the spirit of the present invention. The manner of engagement is sufficient to 25 satisfy legislative requirements governing child restraints and should be simple and readily releasable to enable removal of the carry cot without having an unsettling effect of the child retained therein. It will also be appreciated that the arrangement of the present invention provides for a simple system for transporting a child within a vehicle and to/from the vehicle without 30 the need for handling of the child. Such a system provides a secure portable carry cot that comprises a shell that adds safety to the child and which can be used by the parent in a simple and convenient manner. As the vehicle safety seat is able to be used as a conventional safety seat without the carry cot 10, the system provides for multiple applications and uses of the seat, even when the child has outgrown the need for a carry 35 cot. Such an arrangement for providing a conventional seat that is able to accommodate a carry cot ensures that the seating arrangement can be used as the child grows without the need to purchase a separate seat. Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is 5 expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. 10 Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the arrangement uppermost. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations 15 may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A child safety system for a vehicle, the child safety system comprising: a child safety seat configured to receive a child therein, the child safety seat being mountable to a seat of the vehicle; a carriage configured to receive a child therein, the carriage mountable within the child safety seat; and connecting means configured to removably connect the carriage within the child safety seat, wherein the child safety seat includes a first shoulder harness arrangement for restraining the child when the child is received within the child safety seat, and the carriage includes a second shoulder harness arrangement for restraining the child when the child is received within the carriage, and wherein the connecting means is additional to the shoulder harness arrangements.

2. The child safety system of claim 1, wherein the connecting means includes one or more engagement members formed on the carriage, the or each engagement member being configured to cooperate with a corresponding engagement member provided on the child safety seat when the carriage is received within the child safety seat.

3. The child safety system of claim 2, wherein the one or more engagement members is a projection formed on the carriage that is received within a recess formed in the child safety seat.

4. The child safety system of claim 2, wherein one or more of the engagement members is a recess formed on the carriage that receives a projection formed on the child safety seat.

5. The child safety system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second carriage includes a handle pivotably connected to opposing sides of the second seat member.

6. The child safety system of claim 5, wherein the connecting means includes a hook member projecting from the pivot, the hook member being receivable within a corresponding recess in the child safety seat, such that upon rotation of the handle the hook member is received within the recess.

7. The child safety system of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the one or more engagement members are lockable to facilitate a secure connection between the child safety seat and the carriage when the carriage is received within the child safety seat.

8. A carriage for carrying a child, the carriage comprising: 11 a shell configured to receive a child therein; a handle pivotally connected to the shell for carrying said carriage; a shoulder harness arrangement for securing the child within said shell; and a connecting means for connecting the carriage within a child safety seat.

9. The carriage of claim 8, wherein the connecting means includes a hook member projecting from the pivot, the hook member being receivable within a corresponding recess in the first seat member, such that upon rotation of the handle the hook member is received within the recess.

10. A child safety seat for a vehicle, the child safety system comprising: a body mountable to a seat of the vehicle and configured to receive a child therein, the body having a harness arrangement adapted to restrain the child within the body; and connecting means for connecting a carriage within the body, wherein the connecting means is separate from the harness arrangement.

11. The child safety seat of claim 10, wherein the connecting means includes a recess for receiving a projection from the carriage.

12. The child safety seat of claim 10, wherein the connecting means includes a projection receivable within a recess formed in the carriage. 12