NZ570386A

NZ570386A - Extension cushions for side wings of child vehicle safety seat

Info

Publication number: NZ570386A
Application number: NZ57038608A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Mike Lumley
Original assignee: Britax Childcare Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-08-08
Filing date: 2008-08-07
Publication date: 2008-11-28
Also published as: AU2008203522A1; AU2008203522B2

Abstract

To improve the side impact protection offered by a child's automotive safety seat, side wing extensions 16 are secured to the respective side wings 14 of the backrest of the seat. The extensions are resilient and extend forwardly of the side wings 14 of the backrest 12.

Description

?0386 PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Fee No. 4: $250.00 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION MEANS OF IMPROVING THE SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION OF A CHILD SAFETY SEAT l/WE Britax Childcare Pty Ltd, an Australian company of 99 Derby Road, Sunshine, Victoria 3020, Australia hereby declare the invention, for which IA/Ve pray that a patent may be granted to me/us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: MEANS OF IMPROVING THE SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION OF A CHILD SAFETY SEAT This invention relates to the improved safety in an existing child safety seat and 5 in particular relates to the improvement of side impact protection for an existing safety seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Safety seats generally comprise a backrest portion and a seat portion and may 10 be of the booster seat variety with vehicle seat belts and or additional harnesses used to restrain the child within the seat. Alternatively, the safety seat may be secured with respect to the vehicle by the seat belts and have an independent harness which secures the infant with respect to the safety seat.

Existing safety seats are provided with side wings as a means of providing side impact protection for the child. In side impacts, the infant is moved sideways and it is desirable for the infant head and other vulnerable parts of the body to impact against the cushioned side wings. This is the case particularly in the head area.

However, impacts are sometimes a combination of forward movement of the infant within the seat together with sideways movement. In some instances, it has been found that existing side wings do not provide an adequate level of 2 protection in such circumstances and may result in the infant's head striking a hard surface of the motor vehicle forward of the existing side wing.

A solution to this problem would be to extend existing side wings to provide the 5 required protection. However, this will require re-tooling to produce the required shape in plastic seat shells that are generally moulded.

It is an object of this invention to provide an alternate means in order to improve the side impact protection for an existing seat design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the invention is a child safety seat including a seat, a backrest portion including a pair of side wings integrally formed on the backrest, and a pair of side wing portions each secured with respect to a side wing of the backrest, 15 the side wing portions being resilient and extending forward from the side wings of the safety seat to improve the side impact protection for the safety seat.

The side wing portions may comprise crescent shaped members which, on a concave edge, abut and secure or locate with respect to an existing side wing of 20 the safety seat. An outer convex edge is spaced from the concave edge to provide the required extension of the side wing to improve the side impact protection. 3 The side wing portions may comprise impact absorbing foam but may also be a combination of a rigid moulded component covered in impact absorbing foam.

The securing means may comprise any means of holding the side wing portions in the required position so that, in a collision, this side wing portion is located between the child's head and any hard surface of the motor vehicle.

Preferably, the means of securing the side wing portions with respect to the 10 safety seat may comprise a pocket within the safety seat cover or trim. Safety seat trims are normally covers which go over the moulded plastic or polystyrene core. They are cut and stitched to fit snugly over the safety seat core including the side wings of the backrest. In the present invention, the trim for an existing safety seat can be enlarged within the region over the side wings so that the 15 additional side wing portion can be located within the pocket formed to thereby hold the side wing portion in the required position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to fully understand the invention, the preferred embodiment will now be 20 described. However, it should be realised that the invention is not to be limited to this embodiment and that variations that would be apparent to a person skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the invention. 4 This embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a safety seat, side wing portion and cover trim; Figure 2 shows the safety seat of Figure 1 assembled; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a safety seat according to this invention; and Figure 4 shows a side wing portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The child safety seat 10 comprises a seat portion 11, a backrest portion 12 and existing side wings 13 on the seat portion and 14 on the backrest portion. In accordance with the aim of this invention, a side wing portion 16 is provided to extend the protection provided by the side wing 14. In this embodiment, the side wing portion 16 comprises a planar portion of impact absorbent foam.

The child safety seat has a trim 15 which is cut and stitched to cover the outer seating portions of the safety seat 10. This includes the seat and backrest portions 11 and 12 together with side wings 13 and 14.

In this embodiment, the trim 15 is designed to allow insertion of the side wing 20 portion 16 and the trim 15 is arranged so that the side wing portion 16 is generally held in location. Therefore, when the trim 15 is placed over the safety seat 10 the side wing portion 16 abuts against the side wing 14 with the concave edge 17 of the side portion 16 abutting against the outer edge of the side wing 14.

The side wing portion 16 may have Velcro portions (not illustrated) which align 5 with corresponding Velcro portions within the side trim 15. The adhesion of the Velcro when the side wing portion 16 is within the trim 15 will provide added assistance to hold the side wing portion 16.

Alternatively, the concave edge 17 may have a Velcro fastener attached so that it 10 abuts against and is held against corresponding Velcro fastener on the outer edge of the side wing 14.

In addition to locating the side wing portion 16 within the trim 15 as described above, other means may be provided whereby the side wing portion 16 is 15 secured to the child safety seat 10. This could include a flange extending along the edge 17 and threaded fasteners which locate through the flange and into the existing side wing 14. This could be either internal or external in relation to the safety seat trim 15.

In addition to the head side wing protection 14 and 16 a similar arrangement may be used in relation to the seat portion side wings 13 as a means of providing improved protection for the lower body of an infant. 6 It is not essential that the side wing portion 16 have energy absorbing characteristics. The seat trim 15 may have the required padding, and so the function of the side wing portion may only be to hold the trim 15 in the required position.

As will be seen from the above description, the invention provides a means of easily converting an existing safety seat to provide improved side impact protection. 7

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A child safety seat including: a seat; a backrest portion including a pair of side wings integrally formed on the backrest; and a pair of side wing portions each secured with respect to a side wing of the backrest, the side wing portions being resilient and extending forward from the side wings of the safety seat to improve the side impact protection for the safety seat.

2. A child safety seat according to claim 1 wherein the side wing portions are secured to the side wings of the safety seat.

3. A child safety seat according to claim 1 further including a seat trim wherein the trim incorporates the side wing portions.

4. A child safety seat according to claim 1 further including a seat trim wherein the seat trim over each of the side wings on the backrest extend forward of the side wings to form a pocket, each pocket having side wing portions located therein. 8

5. A child safety seat according to claim 4 wherein the side wing portions are retained in the pockets.

6. A side wing extension for improving the side impact protection of a safety seat having side wings on a backrest comprising a member secured with respect to each side wing of the backrest that is resilient and that extends forward from each side wing.

7. A side wing extension according to claim 6 wherein the extension comprises a portion of a seat trim fitted to the safety seat.

8. A side wing extension according to claim 6 wherein a trim is fitted to the safety seat and wherein the seat trim over each of the side wings on the backrest extend forward of the side wings to form a pocket, each pocket having the side wing extensions located therein.

9. A side wing extension according to claim 8 wherein the side wing extensions are retained in the pockets.

10. A child safety seat substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9

11. A side wing extension substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRITAX CHILDCARE PTY LTD By its attorney 10