GB2023415A

GB2023415A - Vehicle child seat arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2023415A
Application number: GB7905809A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Rainsfords Metal Products Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Rainsfords Metal Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1978-06-19
Filing date: 1979-02-19
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: DE2917798A1; IT7921537A0; FR2429126A1; AU4381979A; IT1112427B; SE7900898L

Abstract

In this invention there is provided a recess (16) in the squab (12) of the vehicle which is wide enough to receive a child, a child seat (19) hinged with respect to the recess, and a seat belt harness (25) which is secured at its upper end to the body assembly and at its lower end below the upper surface of the child seat (19) when in its use position. In some instances the seat belt harness (25) comprises a pair of straps terminating at lower ends in loops through which a lap belt on the vehicle seat is threaded, the lap belt forming part of the harness, while in other instances the harness lower end is secured to the arm rest. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle child seat arrangement This invention relates to an arrangement for the provision of a child's seat in a vehicle.

Vehicles are commonly supplied with seat belts which function to strap adults to the seats, but such seat belts are seldom of value for a small child, and in certain instances a sash belt can actually be dangerous. Consequently it has been common practice to provide a child seat arrangement which can be secured in a vehicle, usually by means of a seat strap which already exists in the vehicle for adult use. However, there is some resistance to usage of a child's seat itself incorporating seat belts because of the difficulty in arranging it in the vehicle, because of the need to have a separate seat product, and because of the difficulty of stowing the seat when not required.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improvement wherein a vehicle child seat arrangement is incorporated within the vehicle.

Briefly, in this invention there is provided a recess in the squab the vehicle which is at least 25 cm.

wide, (preferably between 30 and 35 cm. wide), the side and rear wall of which support the trunk and shoulders of a child, and provide back and side restraints. There is also provided a child seating memberwhich can be retracted into the recess, and a seat belt harness which is secured at its upper end to the structure of the body assembly and at its lower end below the seating surface of the child seating member, when in its use position.

In some instances the seat belt harness can comprise a pair of straps terminating at lower ends in loops through which a lap belt on the vehicle seat is threaded, the lap belt which is ordinarily an adult's belt, then forming part of the harness for the child's seat. In other instances the harness lower end is secured to the child seating member. In still further instances, where the child seat is entirely "soft ware" the crotch strap portion of the seat harness may be anchored to the seat frame but also secured to a lower cushion. There are many other harness configurations which can be utilised, and which are already known in the art.

In some instances, the child seat may be constituted by a member which folds down from the recess to lie on the seat of the vehicle in front of the squab, the seat having an upper seating surface and a recess for accommodating the child's feet, the recess also being usable for accommodating articles when the device is not used as a child's seat. In other instances the seat may be articulated so as to fold back on itself, thereby providing a higher seating surface than formerly. In still further instances, the seat may be arranged as being comprised only of "soft ware", that is cushions which are hinged to one another and one of the cushions is hinged to the vehicle structure between the seat and the squab.In still further instances the child seat may be a loose member which hooks into position in its retracted state within the recess, or alternatively hooks over a support bar carried by the seat. In still further instances, there may be provided bar like guides engaged by slides on the child's seat.

Specifically however, the invention in one of its aspects consists of in a vehicle having a body assembly comprising a structure, a squab, securing means securing the squab to the structure, a seat adjacent the squab and also supported by the structure, a child seat arrangement comprising upwardly extending child body restraint walls in the squab defining a recess which opens to the front of the squab with a mouth which is adapted to receive a child a child seat member movable from a retracted position within the recess to a use position above the vehicle seat, the child seat member upper surface (in its use position) constituting a child seat surface, restraint means within the vehicle body assembly operable to retain a child to said child seat member, and securing means anchoring the restraint means to the structure.

With this invention it is not necessary to utilise a separate product for a child's seat, and relatively minor alteration is required in the construction of a squab. In some aspects of the invention the recess extends from the seat to the top of the squab. For an average vehicle, position of the recess extending to the top of the squab requires a child seat member, which when extended, will extend over most of the distance from the squab to the front of the vehicle.

However when the child seat folds upon itself of course this is reduced by approximately half, and provides a high seating surface which enables the child to have a view outside of the vehicle window.

When a vehicle is sufficiently wide that the child seat can be folded down without encroaching upon the seating capacity on each side thereof, the recess and child's seat may be located in the centre of the squab and this is a preferred configuration for the reason that the child's seat may also be effective as an arm rest. It may be noted that a prior art arm rest and arm rest recess are quite unsuited for use as a child's seat, since the walls of the recess are too close together to provide proper side and back restraints for the child. It is very desirable that the child should be positioned within the recess so that these restraints are available to him.

A second reason why it is desirable that the recess and child's seat arrangement should be near the centre of the squab is that the centre of the squab of the back seat is probably the safest part of a motor vehicle in a crash. However in many instances a vehicle is too narrow to allow positioning of a child's seat in the centre of the squab, and in such instances the child's seat and recess is positioned on the one side of the squab near the side of the vehicle, still leaving space for an adult to be seated alongside the child. In some cases it is necessary to add structural stiffness to the structure of the vehicle in order to provide the required strength for support of a seat belt harness.In all instances, the child seat when folded back into the recess complements the front surface of the squab to provide an upholstery surface which may be regarded as continuous over the length of the squab.

It will be evident that there will be many configurations which can be used in this invention, and seven embodiments of the invention are described hereu nder in some detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a seat and squab, which includes a first form of seat belt harness associated therewith; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodi ment wherein the arm rest is articulated between its ends, and wherein the seat belt harness comprises a pair of straps which depend through the arm rest recess and terminate at their lower ends in loops through which a lap belt passes; Fig. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of Fig. 2, showing how a child is seated on the child seat and restrained back and sides by the recess walls;; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section which illustrates a third embodiment, wherein the child seat is articulated between its ends, and the seat belt harness anchored at its lower end to the arm rest; Fig. 5 illustrates a fourth embodiment wherein the child seat is again articulated between its ends and guided for movement by means of a slide and guide assembly; Fig. 6 is a drawing similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating the child seat in its in-use position;; Fig. 7 illustrates a fifth embodiment which is similar to the fourth embodiment excepting that both articulated portions of the child seat are associated with slides which engage the guides, Fig. 8 is a drawing similar to Fig. 7 illustrating the child's seat in its in-use position, Fig. 9 illustrates a sixth embodiment wherein the child seat is a separate cushion assembly engaging an anchor bar to retain it in the recess, Fig. 10 is a drawing similar to Fig. 9 but illustrating the child's seat anchored in an in-use position, Fig. 11 is a representation of a child's seat which is all "software" comprising only cushions and showing them in the recess, and Fig. 12 is a drawing similar to Fig. 11 but showing the all software child's seat in its in-use position.

In the first embodiment of Fig. 1 a rear seat combination 10 of a vehicle (not shown) is provided with a seat 11 and squab (seat back) 12. Although not shown, securing means secure the squab 12 to the structure portion of a vehicle body assembly. The seat 11 is also supported by the structure portion.

The securing and support means for the squab and seat are in accordance with known art and do not form a novel portion of this invention.

The squab 12 however, has two rearwardlyexte nding side recess walls 14 terminating in a rear recess wall 15, the three walls between them defin ing an arm rest recess designated 16 which extends from the seat 11 right up to the top of the squab 12.

The recess 16 extends in depth for most of the squab depth. However, as distinguished from most existing vehicles, the width of the recess 16 at its mouth (that is, the distance between the two rearwardly extend ing walls 14) is at least 25 centimeters, preferably a little more than 30 centimeters so that an infant or a child can be comfortably positioned therein, and receive support from all three walls 14 and 15. The walls 14 and 15 are all upholstered and provided with some padding or riser material behind the upholstery so as to provide some degree of softness for the comfort of an infant or child.

A child seat 19 is hinged with respect to the squab 12 or seat frame in accordance with known art, although in this embodiment it is necessary for the hinging members to be of sufficient strength to withstand inertia forces which may be applied to them in the case of an impact when an infant or child is strapped to the child seat The child seat 19 exte ndsforthefull height of the recess 16, the undersurface of the child seat being of similar shape to the squab 12 so that when the child seat is back in its retracted position within the recess 16, the vehicle adult seat can be used for its full width in the vehicle and the undersurface of the child seat then becomes continuous with the front surface of the squab.

The child seat 19 near its outer end is provided with four vertical walls 20 and a base 21 defining between them a dish-shaped recess 22 which is capable of accommodating the legs of an infant. The rear vertical wall of the dish-shaped recess is provided with a crotch strap anchor 23 and in this embodiment a pair of lower apertures 24 for leg restraint seat belts 25 exist in the upper surface 18 (in use) of a child seat 19 just rear of the rear vertical wall of the recess, and a pair of upper apertures 27 extend through the rear recess wall 15 of the recess 16 in the squab 12, in each case the apertures being of size and shape to allow free passage therethrough of seat belts 25 for strapping a child or infant onto the upper surface 18 (which forms the child seating surface), with the trunk of the body contained within the recess 16 and supported by the rear recess wall 15 and side recess walls 14.

The anchor means for the seat belts are associated with the structure portion of the vehicle body assembly (not shown), being secured to the rear body panel thereof, or to some reinforcement attached thereto. However in some instances the anchor means can be secured to an anchor bar in the squab frame.

It will evident to those skilled in the art that the invention may exist in any one of a number of alternative configurations. Thus for example, in the second embodiment of Fig. 2 and 3 the child seat 19 is articulated by a hinge 30 intermediate its ends so that the upper (child seating) surface 18 is elevated to a higher level than in the first embodiment of Fig.

1, when the outer (swinging) end is folded back upon the inner (hinged) end of the arm rest 19.

In the second embodiment, the seat belt harness comprises a pair of straps 31, secured at their upper ends to a structure portion of the vehicle body assembly, and terminating at their lower ends in loops 32. A lower strap 33 carries on it a buckle 34, and the strap 33 extends through the loops 32, being secured to the structure portion at its ends. The lower strap 33 is similar to the existing lap-strap of a vehicle sometimes used in the centre of the rear seat. It is adjustable for length, and provides a simple adjunct to the depending straps 31 which extend through the recess 16, to provide a safe lap-sash belt combination for child restraint The third embodiment of Fig. 4 is somewhat similar to that of Figs. 2 and 3.The child seat 19 is carried by a curved metal support arm 38 of sufficient mechanical strength for the purpose, and this is joined to the structure portion 39 of a vehicle body assembly 40, by means of a heavy hinge bar 41. A seat belt harness assembly 42 comprises a pair of depending straps 43 secured at their upper ends to the structure portion 39, and extending downwardly through the recess 16, and joined in a six way buckle 44 to lower straps 45 two of which pass through a pocket 46 in the child seating surface 18 and are anchored at their lower ends to support arm 38. Two other lower straps designated 48 pass the side of the seams and are anchored at their lower ends to the anchors 49. Such strap and buckle combinations are already known in the art, but it can be seen from Fig.

4 that retracting of the arm rest 19 into recess 16 causes retraction of the buckle 44 into pocket 46. The depending straps 42 can be stored in recess 16 behind the arm rest 19 when it is in its retracted position.

Referring now to the fourth embodiment which is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the body assembly 40 comprises a pair of guide bars 51 secured to it behind that portion of the structure 39 to which the squab is secured, the structure 39 containing a pair of slots 52 through which pass respective arms 53, the arms 53 terminating in slides 54.

The child seat 19 comprises a frame 55 which is pivoted to the interior end of arm 53 and which provides a relatively stiff support for walls 56 of a receptacle 57, the receptacle 57 containing a cushion 58 in Fig. 8, but the cushion 58 as shown in Fig. 6 is folded on the other portion of the child seat (in use in Fig. 6 being the lower portion and designated 59), the fabric between the cushion 58 and the portion 59 constituting a fabric hinge at 60. The receptacle 57 functions in the same way as the dish-shaped recess 22 of Fig. 1 to accommodate the legs of a child or articles. Since a number of known child seat harness arrangements may be utilised in this embodiment, no child seat harness is described or illustrated.

The fifth embodiment is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 7 and 8 and is substantially similar to the fourth embodiment, in as much as use is made of similar guide bars 51 passing through slots 52, and guiding arms 53 each of which terminates in a slide 54 slidable along the guides 51. However, the child seat 19 is articulated in the same manner as the seat of Fig. 2 by means of a hinge 30, and one seat portion folds upon the other to give a relatively elevated child seating surface 18 when in the in-use position of Fig. 8. Again, and for the same reasons as heretofore, the harness is not illustrated.

Figs. 9 and 10 diagrammatically illustrate the sixth embodiment wherein the child seat 19 is constituted by a single cushion designated 62 which is provided with a hook 63 engageable over an anchor bar 64 when the seat is contained within the recess 16. To move the child seat 19 from its retracted position of Fig. 9 to its in-use position of Fig. 10, it is merely lifted away from the anchor bar 64 and the hook 63 is hooked over an alternative anchor bar 65 located in a pocket 66 in the back of the seat 11. It will be noted from Figs. 9 and 10 that the pocket 66 is not visable to the eye except when the child seat 19 is removed.

This is possibly the simplest of all of the arrangements described in these embodiments.

The last embodiment to be described herein is the seventh embodiment of Figs. 11 and 12 and this refers to a version which is an all "soft ware" version. In Figs. 11 and 12, the child seat 19 comprises an upper cushion 69 and a lower cushion 70 interconnected by a fabric hinge 60 as in the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6. The lower cushion 70 contains a pocket 71 in which a seat belt is stored when retracted as illustrated in Fig. 11 while the upper cushion 69 contains a fabric guide tube 72 through which the seat strap 73 and buckle 74 are passed when the seat 19 is folded from its retracted position (Fig. 11), to its in-use position, (Fig. 12). The strap 73 then becomes the crotch strap of a harness which is otherwise generally similar to that of Fig. 1, although many alternative known harnesses can be used with such a crotch strap. The crotch strap is anchored backtothe structure portion 39 ofthevehicle body assembly 40 at the locality of the back of the seat 11 A consideration of all the above embodiments will indicate that although the invention is simple in its concept and can take many different forms, it nevertheless provides an effective support for a child or infant and in many instances, in what is the safest area in the vehicle body. In many of the above described embodiments it will be seen that the child seat can also be used as an arm rest when in the centre of a squab. It will be seen also that the trunk shoulder back and head supports for the child are all of upholstery material which can be padded and thereby still further provide safety measures for the protection of the child.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a body assembly comprising a structure, a squab, securing means securing the squab to the structure, a vehicle seat adjacent the squab and also supported by the structure, a child seat arrangement comprising: upwardly extending child body restraint walls in the squab defining a recess which opens to the front of the squab with a mouth which is adapted to receive a child a child seat member movable from a retracted position within the recess to a use position above the vehicle seat, the child seat member upper surface (in its use position) constituting a child seat surface, restraint means within the vehicle body assembly operable to retain a child to said child seat member and within the recess, and securing means anchoring the restraint means to the structure.

2. In a vehicle having a body assembly comprising a structure, a squab, securing means securing the squab to the structure, a seat adjacent the squab and also supported by the structure, a child seat arrangement comprising: walls in the squab defining a recess which opens to the front of the squab with a mouth which is adapted to receive a child, a child seat member movable from a retracted position within the recess to a use position above the vehicle seat, the child seat member upper surface (in its use position) constituting a child seating surface, and a seat belt harness, means securing the seat belt harness at its upper end above said child seating surface (in its use position) with respect to said structure, and further means securing the seat belt harness below said child seating surface also with respect to said structure.

3. A vehicle child seat arrangement in a vehicle having a body assembly comprising a structure, a squab, securing means securing the squab to the structure, a seat adjacent the squab and also supported by the structure, upholstery material on both said seat and squab providing respective cushion surfaces, and upwardly extending recess walls located rearwardly of said squab cushion surface defining a recess in the squab cushion surface between twenty five and forty centimeters wide at its mouth, a child seat member, and attachment hinge means between the child seat member and the structure hinging the child seat member for folding movement with respect to the structure from a retracted position within the recess to a use position over the seat, the upper surface of the child seat member when in its use position being a child seating surface and the recess walls being child support walls, and a seat belt harness associated with the child seat member and arranged for restraint of a child within the recess when seated on said seating surface, and securing means securing the seat belt harness to the body structure.

4. A vehicle child seat according to claim 3 wherein said child seat member comprises side walls and a base wall defining a dish-shaped recess in the child seating surface, the size and location of the recess making it suitable for accommodating the legs and feet of a child when seated on the seating surface.

5. A vehicle child seat according to claim 4 further comprising a crotch strap anchor in a said side wall of the dish-shaped recess.

6. Avehicle child seat according to claim 3 wherein said seat belt harness comprises a pair of spaced body restraint sash belts each secured at its upper end to the body structure and extending from said recess, a pair of leg restraint seat belts carried by the child seat member and extending through apertures in the child seating surface thereof, and a buckle releasably interconnecting the body restraint and leg restraint belts.

7. A vehicle child seat according to claim 3 wherein said child seat member comprises two portions arranged end to end, and an articulating hinge joining the portions so that the forward portion is foldable over the rear portion.

8. A vehicle child seat according to claim 7 wherein said rear arm rest portion comprises a support arm, and said structure comprises a forwa rdly projecting structure portion; said attachment hinge means comprising a hinge between the forwa rdly projecting structure portion and the support arm.

A vehicle child seat according to claim 7 wherein said seat belt harness comprises a pair of spaced body restraint sash belts each secured at its upper end to the body structure, lower leg restraint straps secured at their lower ends to said support arm, and a buckle releasably interconnecting the body restraint and leg restraint belts.

10. A vehicle child seat according to claim 3 wherein said seat belt harness comprises a pair of body restraint belts each secured at its upper end to the body structure, each said body restraint belt terminating at its lower end in a respective loop, and a lower strap comprising two strap portions, each strap portion having one of its ends extending between the seat and squab, securing means securing those respective said ends to the body structure, and buckle means interconnecting the other ends of the strap portions, both said loops having a said strap portion extending therethrough.

11. A vehicle child seat member according to claim 3 further comprising guide bars positioned to the rear of said recess, means securing the guide bars to the structure, respective slides slidable along the guide bars, and arms extending between said slides and the child seat member guiding movement of the child seat member from its retracted to its in use position.

12. A vehicle child seat member according to claim 3 further comprising anchor bars at the top and bottom ends of the recess, means securing the anchor bars to said structure, and a hook member extending from one surface of said child seat member, said hook member being selectively engageable over the upper anchor said bar (when said child seat member is in its retracted position) and the lower said anchor bar (when the child seat member is in its in use position), said hook member retaining said child seat member in its respective position.

13. Avehicle child seat member according to claim 3 wherein said child seat member comprises two cushions joined together by a fabric hinge, and a seat belt strap joining the lower of said cushions to said structure.

14. Avehicle child seat member according to claim 3 wherein said upwardly extending recess walls extends from said seat to the top of said squab.

15. Avehicle child seat according to any one of the seven embodiments described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the relevant accompanying drawings.