Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-07
2001-01-16
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C224S415000, C280S288400, C297S256150, C297S256160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173980
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a child's bicycle seat of the type adapted to be supported on a bicycle rack attached to the frame of a bicycle and supported over a wheel.
Numerous child's bicycle seat and rack assemblies are known in the prior art. Nearly all involve seats which are bolted to rack elements, disengagement of the seat from the rack being troublesome and time consuming. Many of the existing assemblies do not even contemplate the use of the rack without the seat. One rack, that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,648, shows a seat adapted for sliding engagement with a rack, the seat being snap locked into engagement with the rack. The rack, however, is specially designed and requires a biased element integrally formed in its solid flat platform and an overhang of the platform relative to the side supports for engagement with a channel in the seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a child seat that quickly and easily may be detachably secured to a bicycle rack, and in particular, a standard touring rack of the type formed of metal rods or struts.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bicycle seat/rack assembly having a secure seat to rack locking mechanism which is easily and quickly disengaged without removing the rack.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat/rack assembly which allows easy adjustment of the backrest relative to the seat portion.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a bicycle seat of the foregoing type that is simple to manufacture, the rack engagement mechanisms being integrally formed as a part of the bottom of the bicycle seat.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a bicycle seat of the foregoing type that is safe and comfortable.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a bicycle seat of the foregoing type that can be removed from a bicycle rack and placed in a stable upright position on the ground with a child still seated in the bicycle seat.
These and other objects are achieved by the invention which provides a novel child's bicycle seat capable of slidable attachment to a standard touring rack of the type including a substantially rectangular frame having two side struts, a front end strut and a rear end strut. The seat has channels integrally formed in the seat bottom for slidably engaging the side struts and securing the seat against lateral and vertical movement relative the rectangular frame. The seat also has an integrally formed, biased latch adapted to releasably engage one of the front and rear end struts so as to lock the seat member against rearward movement relative to the rack. The biased latch may engage the rear end strut, the front end strut or both. In one aspect of the invention, the biased latch depends downwardly from the bottom of the seat to disengagingly lock with the rear end strut. A locking wedge may be secured between the biased latch and the seat bottom to secure the biased latch in its normally biased position thereby preventing unintentional flexing and disengagement between the latch and the rear end of the strut. When the wedge is removed, the latch may be flexed out of engagement with the rear end strut to allow the seat to be slid rearwardly from the rack.
In another aspect of the invention, a tongue is integrally formed with and projects forwardly of the seat. A biased latch member may be formed in this tongue and be adapted to releasably engage the front end strut so as to lock the seat against rearward movement with respect to the rack. Preferably, the front end strut forms a slot for snugly mating with the tongue to additionally limit forward and vertical movement of the seat with respect to the rack.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the seat bottom includes a pair of L-shaped channels for engaging the side struts of the rack. The rack has a pair of end support struts attached to and downwardly depending from the rear end strut, the support struts being attached inwardly of the side struts to provide clearance for the L-shaped channels.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the child's bicycle seat has a seat portion and a backrest portion pivotably attached to one another by a pair of axially aligned, hub assemblies. The hub assemblies have facing hubs with mating projections and grooves. The hubs may be rotated with respect to one another and locked in various rotational relationships for selectively securing the backrest and seat in various angular relationships to one another. Preferably, the hub assemblies include seat hubs with integrally formed, radially extending arms and backrest hubs with integrally formed, radially extending arms. The seat and backrest arms mate with channels formed in the side walls of the seat portion and backrest to secure the seat portion and backrest to the hub assemblies.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the child seat is provided with a swing element that is movable between a grab bar position and a seat stand position. The swing element and the child's seat are constructed and arranged to permit the swing element to be selectively secured in the grab bar position and the seat stand position. Thus, the rack is provided with a single element that in one position serves the function of a grab bar and in another position serves the function of a seat stand, whereby the child's seat may be removed from the rack and placed on the ground in a stable, upright position still supporting a child. Preferably, the child's seat includes a seat portion and a backrest pivotally attached to one another. Most preferably, the swing-element is U-shaped, with two arms and a bar interconnecting the arms, with the arms attached to the seat portion or backrest.
According to another aspect of the invention, a seat portion for a child's seat of the foregoing type is provided. The seat portion includes a seat base portion for supporting a child and a pair of seat side walls. The seat side walls include a side wall base extending upwardly from the seat base portion and a pair of elongated side supports extending upwardly and rearwardly from the seat base side walls. This seat portion can be used, for example, with a backrest that is pivotally attached to the seat portion. The backrest can have backrest side walls extending toward the seat. The pair of elongated side supports and backrest side walls are constructed and arranged to permit their attachment to one another at at least two positions, thereby defining different pivotal arrangements of the seat and backrest with respect to one another.
The seat portion, backrest and individual hubs all may be injection molded to provide for easy manufacture and assembly of the seat.
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Rhode Gear Child Seat and Rack advertisement Summer 1990 L.L.Bean Ca
Mackenzie, IV Kenneth
Newbold Dixon
Bell Sports Inc.
Boehler Anne Marie
Wolf Greenfield & Sacks P.C.
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