MXPA96005479A

MXPA96005479A - Baby chair for cars with superior camera protector

Info

Publication number: MXPA96005479A
Application number: MXPA/A/1996/005479A
Authority: MX
Inventors: A Sedlack Mark
Original assignee: Century Products Company
Priority date: 1995-11-10
Filing date: 1996-11-08
Publication date: 1997-08-01

Abstract

The present invention relates to an adjustable upper protector for a car child seat, this protector comprising: first and second arm members, each having a connecting end and a distal end, and a rack member secured thereto , and having a plurality of notches configured along the length, and a central U-shaped member having first and second side sections, each slidably engageable with the first and second arm members, respectively, at its distal end, having each of the lateral sections a leg latch pivotally mounted thereon, the leg latch having a nose portion that can be engaged in an interlocking relationship with the notches, and an operative end having a manually engageable surface, and a forcing member for forcing the nose portion of the leg latch to a coupling with the sample

Description

BABY CHAIR FOR CARS WITH IMPROVED UPPER PROTECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to baby and child car seats that have upper protectors. More particularly, this invention relates to a car seat provided with a top guard with arms of adjustable length. There are known baby and child car seats that are provided with a safety guard, which is pivotally connected at an appropriate point on the sides of the seat. These protectors typically have a U-shape with a cushioned center section to cushion the occupant in the event of a collision, and the protector "is pivotally connected so that it can be maneuvered to an upper position, in which the baby can be easily placed and removed. or the child in the car seat Most of these upper protectors have arms of a fixed length, which suffer from the disadvantage that the baby grows and there is no longer enough space around the inner periphery of the protector to comfortably accommodate the child. At this point, the protector loses its usefulness.A solution to this problem is to provide the upper protective car seats with arms of different length.However, this solution is very expensive, because it requires the replacement of the entire structure of the seat when at least once A compromise solution is to design the protector with an intermediate length: however, this solution suf The disadvantage is that the arms can be too long for a baby, and too short for a child of about 18 kilograms or more. Attempts have been made in the past to provide upper protectors with arms of an adjustable length: however, to date, these protectors have provided only nominal adjustment ranges, in the order of a maximum of approximately 6.35 centimeters.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises an adjustable arm structure for the infant and child car seat, which provides a wider range of adjustability and, consequently, is capable of accommodating a wider range of sizes of children, from a newborn baby up to a child of approximately 18 kilograms (a typical four-year-old child). From an apparatus standpoint, the invention comprises an adjustable top protector for the baby seat of a carriage, the protector comprising first and second arm members, each having a connecting end and a distal end, and rack secured thereto, and having a plurality of notches configured along. A central U-shaped member is provided with first and second side sections, each engageable slidably with the first and second arm members, respectively, at their distal end. Each of the side sections includes a leg latch pivotally mounted thereon, the leg latch having a nose portion that can be engaged in an interlocking relationship with the notches, and an operative end having a manually engageable surface. Each of the side sections also includes a tilting member, preferably a folded leaf spring, for for the nose portion of the leg latch into engagement with one of the notches. The invention includes a position indicator mounted on at least one of the arm member to indicate the relative position of the central U-shaped member, and of the first and second arm members. Each of the side sections also includes a stop to limit the outward movement of the side sections relative to the arm members. For a more complete understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable top protector incorporating the invention. Figure 2 is a side view of the left arm partially in section, illustrating the adjustment mechanism in the secured position. Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view partially in section illustrating the operation of the release mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a car seat 10 in phantom. As seen in this figure, the upper protector comprises a generally U-shaped device having a pair of arms 12, 14, and a U-shaped central member generally designated with the reference numeral 15. The arms 12, 14 they are pivotally connected to the lateral side walls of the seat of the carriage 10 in any suitable manner, so as to be able to maneuver from the fully shown position, to an upper position, where a baby or a child can be placed on the seat of the carriage 10, or it can be removed without interference from the protector. The central member 15 includes a pair of cover portions 16, 17, which are slidably configured on the arms 12, 14, and a central cushioned portion 18 which provides a cushion against sudden impacts. Each arm 12, 14 is provided with a locking mechanism described below, and including a release button 18 to make it possible to adjust the relative position of the central member 15 relative to the arms 12, 14. A scale is provided indicator 20 on at least one of the arms 12, 14 to indicate the relative position of the central member 15. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, which illustrate the locking mechanism for the left arm 12 (which is identical to the mechanism of secure for the right arm 14), a notched rack 21 is secured to the arm 12 in any suitable manner, such as by the use of appropriate fasteners, adhesive link or the like. The rack 20 is stationary with respect to the arm 12. A leg bolt 22 is pivotally secured to the bolt 23 to a substantial upper portion 24 of the member 16. The leg bolt 22 is generally L-shaped, and has a nose portion. 23 with a shape conforming to the notches 24 formed in the rack 20. In the preferred embodiment, the notches 24 have a straight front edge 25 configured substantially normal to the bottom 26, and a rear edge inclined in ramp 27.

The leg latch 22 ends at the free end on the button 18 having a surface configured to accommodate a finger or a thumb. A leaf spring 30 is configured between the inner surface of the upper portion 24 and the rear edge of the nose portion 23 of the leg latch 22. Accordingly, when the button 18 is not operated, the spring 30 maintains the portion of nose 23 engaged in one of the rack notches 24. With reference to Figure 3, when the button 18 is pushed downward, using a finger or a thumb, the leg catch 22 rotates in the opposite direction to the hands of the watch around the pivot 23 against the force of the spring 30 to lift the nose portion 23 freeing it from the creel slot 24. Once the leg latch 22 is disengaged from the rack 20, the member can be adjusted 15 inwards or outwards from arm 12 to the desired position. After the adjustment has been made, the button 18 is released, and the spring 30 forces the leg latch 22 against the rack 21. If the nose portion 23 is in registration with one of the notches of the rack 24, the spring 30 will automatically cause engagement between the nose portion 23 and a notch of the rack 24. If the nose portion 23 is not in exact registration with one of the rack notches 24, further manipulation of the center member 18 will eventually result an appropriate registration and automatic coupling under the force of the spring 30. In order to prevent a complete removal of the central member 18 of the arms 12, 14, a stop 32 is provided at the front end of the rack 21. As may be watch now, the invention provides easy adjustability of the length of the upper protector by simply pressing the buttons 18 and maneuvering the central member 15 on the side arms 12, 14. The range of adjustability depends on the length of the rack 20, and the number of notches provided. In one embodiment, the range of adjustability is 7.62 centimeters; however, longer lengths may be provided, as desired. Although the foregoing provides a complete description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, different modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed, as desired. Accordingly, the foregoing description and illustrations should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable top protector for a car child seat, this protector comprising: first and second arm members, each having a connecting end and a distal end, and a rack member secured thereto, and having a plurality of notches configured along; and a central U-shaped member having first and second side sections, each slidably engageable with the first and second arm members, respectively, at their distal end, each having the side sections-a pivotally mounted leg latch therein, the leg latch having a nose portion that can be engaged in an interlocking relationship with the notches, and an operative end having a manually engageable surface, and a biasing member to force the nose portion of the latch from a leg to a coupling with the notch.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the biasing member comprises a bent leaf spring.

3. The invention of claim 1, which further includes a position indicator mounted on at least one of the arm members.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the manually engageable surface is configured to accommodate one end of a finger. The invention of claim 1, which further includes a stop for limiting outward movement of the side sections in relation to the arm members. The invention of claim 1, wherein the central U-shaped member includes a cushion portion centrally configured therein.