WO2009061250A1

WO2009061250A1 - Integrated child safety seat

Info

Publication number: WO2009061250A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/000628
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christer LÖNN
Original assignee: Loenn Christer
Priority date: 2007-11-08
Filing date: 2008-11-06
Publication date: 2009-05-14
Also published as: SE0702457L; SE531686C2

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated child safety seat in a vehicle in which the child safety seat comprises a backrest (16) constituted by the seat cushion (16) of a passenger seat (1), and the sitting portion of the child safety seat is constituted by a portion of the passenger seat (1) which is situated under the seat cushion (16) when the seat cushion (16) is in a normal position of use. A distinguishing feature of the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention is that the child safety seat comprises locking means (14, 15) for anchoring the backrest (16) of the child safety seat in the vehicle's instrument panel (7).

Description

INTEGRATED CHILD SAFETY SEAT

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to an integrated child safety seat in a vehicle, in which the child safety seat comprises a backrest constituted by the seat cushion of a passenger seat, and the sitting portion of the child safety seat is constituted by a portion of the passenger seat which is situated under the seat cushion when the seat cushion is in a normal position of use.

State of the art

In an integrated child safety seat known from, for example, US-A-5, 524 , 962 and WO 2004/089685, the backrest of the child safety seat is constituted by the seat cushion of a passenger seat when the seat cushion is in a raised position. This entails the seat cushion being pivotably fastened to an underlying portion of the passenger seat whereby the seat cushion is pivotably fastened to the forward end of the underlying portion. Forward end means the end of the underlying portion situated furthest forward in the normal direction of movement of the vehicle. With these arrangements there are no means for fixing the backrest/seat cushion in a raised position.

Objects and features of the invention

A primary object of the present invention is to propose an integrated child safety seat of the kind defined in the introduction which is usable for children from babyhood to about 5-6 years of age.

Another object of the present invention is that the child safety seat in an active position should not interfere with the crash cushion which relates to the forward passenger seat . A further object of the present invention is to ensure that the integrated child safety seat is in a correct position of use.

At least the primary object of the present invention is achieved by an integrated child safety seat provided with the features indicated in the independent claim 1 set out below. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of the forward portion of the interior of a vehicle in which the child safety seat according to the present invention is integrated in the passenger seat in Fig. 1; Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with part of the instrument panel lowered; Figs. 3-5 depict schematically how to move the various parts of the passenger seat in order to convert the passenger seat to a child safety seat; and

Fig. 6 depicts a perspective view corresponding to Fig. 1 in which the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention is in an active position.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

The vehicle interior depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 comprises a passenger seat 1 in which essential parts for a child safety seat according to the present invention are integrated. Also depicted in the interior are a driving seat 3 and conventional control means 5 belonging to a vehicle. The driving seat 3 and the conventional control means 5 do not form part of the present invention. An element 9 which is lowerable relative to the remainder of the instrument panel 7 is arranged in the instrument panel 7 in front of and centrally to the passenger seat 1, see in particular Fig. 2. In the embodiment depicted, the element 9 is fastened articulatedly to the remainder of the instrument panel 7. This arrangement affords an essential advantage which is explained below.

As indicated in Fig. 1, a crash cushion may be housed in the lowerable element 9 and is represented by an ellipse 10 on the lowerable element 9. Lowering the element 9 to the position depicted in Fig. 2 automatically deactivates the crash cushion. In any case, if for any reason the crash cushion releases, it will cause no damage when the element 9 is in a lowered position, since the crash cushion will then protrude into a space below the instrument panel 7.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, a hollow 11 is left in the instrument panel 7 when the element 9 has assumed its lowered position. The lowering of the element 9 is represented by the arrow Pl in Fig. 2. The hollow 11 comprises a bottom 12 and two sidewalls 13 (only one of which is visible in Fig. 2) . In the hollow 11 there are first portions 14 for locking means, which first portions in the embodiment depicted take the form of male portions/pins 14. There are preferably two male portions 14, see Fig. 6, which male portions 14 are centred opposite one another in the sidewalls 13 of the hollow 11. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the lowerable element 9 also comprises second portions 15 for locking means, which second portions take the form of first female portions/holes 15. In the raised position of the element 9, the male portions 14 and the first female portions 15 are in engagement with one another, i.e. the pins 14 extend into the first holes 15.

Moving the element 9 from the position depicted in Fig. 1 to the position depicted in Fig. 2 inactivates the locking means 14, 15. Lowering the element 9 to the position depicted in Fig. 2 constitutes the first stage of setting up the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention.

The next stage in setting up the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention is to move the passenger seat 1 from the position depicted in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position depicted in Fig. 6. In this context, a passenger seat 1 and said movement are illustrated schematically in Figs. 3-5. The passenger seat 1 comprises a seat cushion 16 and a backrest 17, the seat cushion 16 resting on a subframe 18 which is anchored in the vehicle's bottom plate. The subframe 18 is normally movable relative to the bottom plate.

The seat cushion 16 comprises a reinforcement in the form of a layer 8 represented by parallel broken lines in Figs. 3-5. The layer 8 is embedded in the seat cushion 16 and extends substantially horizontally when the seat cushion 16 assumes the lowered position according to Fig. 3.

The backrest 17 is connected to the subframe 18 by a frame element 19 along which the backrest 17 is movable, which movement is represented by the arrow P2 in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3, the passenger seat 1 assumes its normal position, i.e. a position for accommodating a passenger. As the seat cushion 16 of the passenger seat 1 extends in under the backrest 17 of the passenger seat 1, the backrest 17 has to be moved upwards in the direction represented by the arrow P2 in Fig. 3.

When the backrest 17 has been moved far enough upwards, the seat cushion 16 can be pivoted about an articulation 20 in the region of the forward end of the seat cushion 16, i.e. the end which points in the vehicle' s normal direction of movement. This pivoting is represented by the arrow P3 in Fig. 4, which shows the seat cushion 16 pivoted up to a position in which the seat cushion 16 constitutes a backrest for a child safety seat. In this context it should be noted that the primary purpose of the reinforcing layer 8 embedded in the seat cushion/backrest 16 is to absorb forces during collisions when the seat cushion/backrest 16 constitutes part of the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 depicts a state in which the seat cushion/backrest 16 assumes the same position as in Fig. 4 but the backrest 17 of the passenger seat 1 has been moved back to its normal position, a movement represented by the arrow P4. In Fig. 5, a hatch 21 forming part of the subframe 18 of the passenger seat 1 has also been raised, a movement represented by the arrow P5 in Fig. 5. A space in the subframe of the passenger seat 1 which can accommodate the feet of a child sitting in the child safety seat is thus freed. The need for this space arises mainly when the child has reached the age of about 3-6 years. Beside the hatch 21, close to the articulation 20, the subframe 18 has a board-like stationary portion 22 which serves as a sitting portion of the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention. Fig. 6 shows the seat cushion 16 accommodated in the hollow 11 in the instrument panel 7. It also shows schematically how the male portions/pins 14 are accommodated in elongate second female portions/holes 23. The fact that the second female portions/holes 23 are elongate makes it possible for the slope of the seat cushion/backrest 16 to be varied somewhat. The raised seat cushion 16 is thus securely anchored in its raised position in which it constitutes the backrest of the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention. In this context it should be noted that, as clearly illustrated by Fig. 6, the seat cushion/backrest 16, in its raised position, does not extend above the upper edge of the instrument panel 7. This is an advantage with regard to visibility for the driver through the forward windscreen and the right side window.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, a recess 25 intended to accommodate the upper body and head of a child is arranged on the underside of the seat cushion/backrest 16, i.e. the portion which serves as the backrest in the integrated child safety seat. To this end, the recess is generally shaped according to the contours of the upper body and head of a child. To enable the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention to be used for a child from babyhood right up to 5-6 years of age, the embodiment depicted in Fig. 6 is provided with an insert 26 which may be inflatable or be made of a relatively soft material, e.g. cellular plastic. This insert 26 is suitably anchored in the recess 25, e.g. by friction relative to parts of the side edges of the recess. The insert 26 also has an inner contour shaped according to the upper body and head of a small child.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention is provided with a safety belt 27 which is only depicted schematically in Fig. 6. The safety belt depicted is a four-point belt, i.e. it has four fastening points, two of which are situated on the seat cushion/backrest 16 and two on the stationary portion 22. The safety belt schematically depicted in Fig. 6 is only to be regarded as an example. When the integrated child safety seat according to the present invention is not needed, the locking means 14, 23 are inactivated and the seat cushion 16 is lowerable to its normal position in the passenger seat 1. For this lowering to be possible, the backrest 17 has to be pushed upwards in the direction represented by the arrow P2 in Fig. 3. When the seat cushion 16 has been lowered, the backrest 17 can be pushed back downwards, see Fig. 5.

The lowerable element 9 can then be raised so that it assumes the position depicted in Fig. 1. The resulting mutual re-engagement of the locking means 14, 15 causes activation of the functions of the crash cushion.

Conceivable modifications of the invention In the embodiment described, the element 9 is lowerable relative to the remainder of the instrument panel 7, but it is conceivable within the scope of the present invention for the element 9 to be displaced in some other way or for the element 9 to be removed entirely from the instrument panel 7. In the embodiment described above, male portions 14 arranged in the hollow 11 and female portions 15 cooperating with them are arranged on the lowerable element 9. It is conceivable within the scope of the present invention for the male and female portions to change places, in which case the locking means arranged in the seat cushion/backrest 16 have also to be modified.

Claims

1. An integrated child safety seat in a vehicle in which the child safety seat comprises a backrest (16) constituted by the seat cushion (16) of a passenger seat (1), the sitting portion of the child safety seat is constituted by a portion of the passenger seat (1) which is situated below the seat cushion

(16) when the seat cushion (16) is in a normal position of use, and the child safety seat comprises locking means (14, 15) for anchoring the backrest (16) of the child safety seat in the vehicle's instrument panel (7), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the backrest (16) of the child safety seat is accommodated in a hollow (11) in the instrument panel (7) and that the hollow (11) is formed by removing from the instrument panel (7) an element (9) which forms part of the instrument panel (7) .

2. A child safety seat according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the element (9) is lowerable from the instrument panel (7) .

3. A child safety seat according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a crash cushion is housed in the element (9) .

4. A child safety seat according to any one of the claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the locking means for the element (9) comprise male portions/pins (14) which cooperate with first female portions/holes (15) .

5. A child safety seat according to any one of the claims

, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the locking means for the seat cushion/backrest (16) comprise male portions/pins (14) which cooperate with second female portions/holes (23) .

6. A child safety seat according to any one of the above claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the seat cushion/backrest (16) has a recess (25) on the side which faces away from the instrument panel (7) when the seat cushion/backrest is in a raised position.

7. A child safety seat according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the recess (25) is shaped according to the contours of the upper body and head of a child.

8. A child safety seat according to claim 6 or 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the child safety seat comprises an insert (26) , that the insert (26) is accommodated in the recess (25) and that the insert (26) has an inner contour shaped according to the upper body and head of a child.