AU2011239242A1 - Shield Device - Google Patents

Abstract

A shield device for the release mech-anism of a child safety restraint in a passenger vehicle; said shield device comprising a cover portion, opposing side portions 5 and inwardly extending ledge portions; said side portions and ledge portions sufficiently flexible for a snap-fit. attachment to a harness buckle of said restraint; said shield device preventing access to a release button of said release mechanism of said harness buckle by a child 10 secured by said safety restraint; and wherein detachment of said shield device from said harness buckle requires application of opposing forces to said opposing side portions.

Description

P/00/009 Regulation 3.10 5 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 10 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 15 Invention Title: 20 SHIELD DEVICE The invention is described in the following statement, including the best method 25 of performing it known to us: 30 35 40 45 Our Ref: 072156 2 SHIELD DEVICE The present invention relates to safety devices in motor vehicles and, more particularly, to safety devices .for child restraint systems. 5 BACKGROUND It has become mandatory in many jurisdictions that children be secured by approved safety belting or harnessing when travelling in vehicles. For younger 10 children these may include so-called baby seats which incorporate an attached harness. Such baby seats typically comprise an upholstered seat chassis anchored to the shell of, the vehicle and further secured by a seat belt passing through the chassis. 15 For older children, too big for the baby seat but still too small to safely and responsibly use the standard lap-sash adult seat belts, a so-called booster seat may be used. These are of light construction, sitting loose on the seat of the vehicle but provided with a safety harness 20 attached to an anchor point provided in the vehicle. In a typical arrangement the ends of the harness are provided with loops through which the vehicles seat belt is passed and secured to its buckle. Typically also the booster seat is provided with a short strap and slotted buckle which 25 extends from the seat between the child's legs and sips 3 over the seat belt to prevent a small child slipping under the belt. In each case the security of the child depends on the integrity of the spring release buckle securing the harness 5 or seat belt. In the case of the baby seat this buckle is usually at the juncture of individual straps passing over the shoulders of the child and a central strap extending from the seat part of the baby seat between its legs. The buckle 10 thus locates approximately in the middle of the child's body and is within easy reach of the child's hands. Although the spring controlling the release button of a baby seat buckle is relatively strong and should be beyond the ability of child to depress it, some small 15 children can be unusually strong and with determination have been known to release the buckl'. Frequently also, such seats have long use, either being passed down to younger siblings, on to friends or sold, so that the buckle mechanism may become worn and loose some of its original 20 resistance. Most children old enough to graduate from baby seat to booster seat are also big enough to reach and operate the release button of a standard seat belt. This may be done by the child when acting irresponsibly or perhaps 25 unconsciously when fiddling with the buckle.

4 Clearly a release of a buckle when the vehicle is in use may not be noticed by adults in the front of the vehicle so that event the slim possibility that such. a release may occur and continue unnoticed is of serious 5 concern. It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages. Note The tetm "comprising" (and grammatical variations 10 thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of "having" or "including", and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of". BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 15 Accordingly, in a first broad form of the invention, there is provided a shield device for the release mechanism of a child safety restraint in a passenger vehicle; said shield device comprising a cover portion, opposing side portions and inwardly extending ledge portions; said side 20 portions and ledge portions sufficiently flexible for a snap-fit attachment to a harness -buckle of said restraint; said shield device preventing access to a release button of said release mechanism of said harness buckle by a child secured by said safety restraint; and wherein detachment of 25 said shield device from said harness buckle requires 5 application of opposing forces to said opposing side portions. Preferablyr said safety restraint is a harness of a baby seat installed in said vehicle. 5 Preferably, said safety restraint is a harness for a booster seat; said harness attached to an anchor point in said vehicle and cooperatively interconnected with a seat belt of said vehicle. Preferably, said restraint includes a harness buckle 10 providing a connection between restraining straps of said harness. Preferably, said straps include shoulder straps and a central seat strap between the legs of child user of said baby seat. 15 Preferably, said harness buckle includes a spring biased release button; depressing said button against said spring releasing said connection. Preferably, said harness is secured by interconnection of said seat belt with a seat belt buckle of said seat 20 belt. Preferably, said buckle of said seat belt includes a spring biased release button; depressing said button against said spring releasing said interconnection of said seat belt with said buckle.

6 Preferably, said shield comprises at least a cover portion and two opposing side portions extending from said cover portion. Preferably, said cover portion substantially covers 5 said release button; coverage of said release button by said cover portion sufficient to render said release button inoperable when said shield device is applied to said harness buckle or said buckle of said seat belt. Preferably, said side portions are provided with 10 inwardly projecting ledge portions; said ledge portions adapted to releasably attach said shield device to a said buckle. Preferably, said ledge portions are adapted to engage with portions of a said buckle as a close snap-fit. 15 Preferably, said shield device is formed of a resilient material; said material sufficiently flexible to allow a snap-fitting engagement of said ledge portions with a said buckle. Preferably, detachment of said shield device from a 20 said buckle is effected by application of two opposing forces applied to respective opposing said side portions of said shield device. In a further broad form of the invention there is 25 provided a method for prevention of operation of a release 1 mechanism of a child restraint in a passenger vehicle; said method including the steps of; a. providing a shield device adapted to substantially cover a release button of said 5 release mechanism, b. applying said shield device to a buckle of a child restraint Preferably, said release mechanism is a component of a 10 buckle of a baby seat harness. Preferably, said release mechanism is a component of a seat belt buckle. Preferably, said shield device comprises at least a cover portion and side portions extending from said cover 15 portion. Preferably, said shield device is provided with ledge portions extending inwardly from said side portions; said ledge portions adapted for a snap-fitting. engagement with a said buckle. 20 Preferably, detachment of said shield device requires application of two opposing forces to said shield device.

8 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; 5 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical baby seat with harness installed on the rear seat of a passenger vehicle according to the prior art, Figure 2 is a booster seat for older children located on the rear seat of a passenger vehicle with a restraining 10 harness interlinked to a standard lap-sash seat belt according to the prior art, Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of a buckle arrangement of the baby seat harness of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a first preferred 15 embodiment of the invention for application to the buckle arrangement of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a part sectioned side view of the embodiment of Figure 4 in use, Figure 6 is a detailed perspective view of a seat belt 20 buckle arrangement for use with the booster seat of Figure 2, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention for application to the seat belt buckle of Figure 6, 25 Figure 8 is a part sectioned side view of the embodiment of Figure 7 in use.

9 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figure 1, a baby seat 10 is installed in the rear seat 12 of a passenger vehicle. Typically, such seats comprise a frame or shell 14 forming 5 a chassis adapted to raise a child (not shown) above the level of the rear seat 12 and provide a comfortable and secure seating position for a child. The chassis is provided with a strap 16 which is releasably attached to an anchor point 18 provided in the 10 structure of the vehicle, for example on the rear parcel shelf 20 as shown in Figure 1. The chassis is further restrained by use of the vehicle seat belt 22 which passes through apertures and connects to the normal seat belt buckle 24. 15 The baby seat 10 is provided with a harness attached to the seat chassis. Typically this comprises straps 26 which pass over the shoulders of the child and a strap 28 extending from the squab of the seat to pass between the legs of the child. A buckle 30 is attached to this latter 20 strap 28 and is adapted to accept insertion of metal tabs at the ends 32 of straps 26. With reference now to Figure 3, buckle 30 comprises a generally rectangular body 34 with a release button 36. Tabs 32 of straps 26 when inserted into body 34 are latched 25 by the internal spring loaded mechanism of the buckle. Release button 36 is biased outwardly by this spring 10 mechanism and must be depressed against the spring to release tabs 32 from the buckle. It does not take long for a small child to understand the function of this button which is usually brightly 5 coloured red, and some small children will make strenuous efforts to activate it. Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a shield device 40 adapted to protect the buckle 30 of Figure 3 from the attempts of a child to activate button 36. Shield 10 device 40 in this embodiment comprises a cover portion 42 with at least two opposing side portions 44 extending from cover portion 42. Extending inwardly from each of side portions 44 are ledges 46. Shield device 40 may additionally be provided with front and rear overhanging 15 lips 48 and 50, Shield device 40 is made of a stiff but resilient material, for example a durable plastic, and is sufficiently flexible that side portions 44 may separate enough to allow the device 40 to be pushed over body 20 portion 34 and become attached to body 34 as a snap-fit. Figure 5 shows the shield device 40 of this embodiment in position over buckle 30. Shield device 40 is designed to be a close fit over buckle 30 with front and rear overhanging lips 48 and 50 preventing the shield from sliding off the 25 buckle. Cover portion 42 clearly prevents any access by a child to release button 36. Moreover, since the detachment 11 of shield device 40 from buckle 30 will require the application of opposing forces in the directions indicated by arrows in Figure 4, it is considered that such manipulation is beyond the dexterity and strength of any 5 child likely to be accommodated in a baby seat. Turning now to Figure 2, an arrangement for a booster seat 100 according to the prior art, includes a restraining harness 102. Harness 102 is attached by rear strap 116 to an anchor point 118 provided in the vehicle, in this 10 example the rear parcel shelf 120. Harness 102 further comprises a yoke of twin straps 126 passing over the shoulders of a child (not shown), the ends of each of which are provided with loops through which a standard seat belt 122 may be passed. The tab 132 of seat belt 122 then 15 latches into the standard seat belt buckle 124. Buckle 124 is generally within reach of a child sitting in booster seat 102 and being a conventional buckle adapted for quick emergency release by responsible adults, requires only light pressure on the release button 136 (see 20 Figure 6) to unlatch the seat belt. In this preferred embodiment a shield device 140 shown in Figure 7 again comprises a cover portion 142 and opposing side portions 144 with pledged 146 extending inwardly from side portions 144 in similar fashion to the 25 arrangement of the first preferred embodiment described above. In this embodiment also, shield device 140 is 12 provided with a rear overhanging lip 148, but in this instance the opposite or front end of the device is provided with an extended lip 150 sufficient to prevent access to release button 136 when the shield device is 5 snap-fitted to the body 134 of seat belt buckle 124. Again, the release of the shield device 140 from seat belt buckle 124, requires the application of opposing forces to disengage the ledges 146 from the body 134 of the buckle. This, it is considered, is too awkward and requires 10 dexterity beyond the ability of a child, seated on the booster seat, to achieve with one hand. It will be understood that the principle configurations of the shield device may be tailored to suit the particular body shape of a buckle of either a baby seat 15 harness or of a conventional seat belt buckle which secures the restraint harness of a booster seat. The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those 20 skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims (20)

1. A shield device for the release mechanism of a child safety restraint in a passenger vehicle; said shield device comprising a cover portion, opposing side 5 portions and inwardly extending ledge portions; said side portions and ledge portions sufficiently flexible for a snap-fit attachment to a harness buckle of said restraint; said shield device preventing access to a release button of said release mechanism of said 10 harness buckle by a child secured by said safety restraint; and wherein detachment of said shield device from said harness buckle requires application of opposing forces to said opposing side portions.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said safety restraint is 15 a harness of a baby seat installed in said vehicle.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said safety restraint is a harness for a booster seat; said harness attached to an anchor point in said vehicle and cooperatively interconnected with a seat belt of said vehicle. 20

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said harness buckle provides a connection between restraining straps of said harness. 14

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said straps include shoulder straps and a central seat strap between the legs of child user of said baby seat.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said harness buckle 5 includes a spring biased release button; depressing said button against said spring releasing said connection.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein said harness is secured by interconnection of said seat belt with a seat belt 10 buckle of said seat belt.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said buckle of said seat belt includes a spring biased release button; depressing said button against said spring releasing said interconnection of said seat belt with said 15 buckle,

9. The device of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said shield device comprises at least a cover portion and two opposing side portions extending from said cover portion. 20

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said cover portion substantially covers said release button; coverage of said release button by said cover portion sufficient to render said release button inoperable when said 15 shield device is applied to said harness buckle or said buckle of said seat belt.

11. The device of claim 9 or 10 wherein said side portions are provided with said inwardly projecting 5 ledge portions; said ledge portions adapted to releasably attach said shield device to a said buckle,

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said ledge portions are adapted to engage with portions of a said buckle as a close snap-fit. 10

13. The device of claim 11 or 12 wherein said shield device is formed of a resilient material; said material sufficiently flexible to allow a snap-fitting engagement of said ledge portions with a said buckle.

14. The device of any one of claims 9 to 13 wherein 15 detachment of said shield device from a said buckle is effected by application of two opposing forces applied to respective opposing said side portions of said shield device.

15. A method for prevention of operation of a release 20 mechanism of a child restraint in a passenger vehicle; said method including the steps of: 16 a) providing a shield device adapted to substantially cover a release button of said release mechanism, b) applying said shield device to a buckle of a 5 child restraint, c) and wherein said shield device is arranged so as to allow a snap-fit attachment of said shield device; subsequent detachment of said shield device requiring application of opposing forces. 10

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said release mechanism is a component of a buckle of a baby seat harness.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said release mechanism is a- component of a seat belt buckle. 15

18. The method of any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein said shield device comprises at least a cover portion and side portions extending from said dover portion.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said shield device is provided with ledge portions extending inwardly 20 from said side portions; said ledge portions adapted for said snap-fit attachment with a said buckle.

20. A shield device for the release mechanism of a child safety restraint for passenger vehicles as 17 herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.