Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-24
2004-05-18
Barfield, Anthony D (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Tiltable
C297S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable seat apparatus for an automobile, on which an auxiliary seat, such as a child seat, may be mounted.
For example, in car types such as a station wagon or a hatchback, there are many cars that can convert rear space into a cargo area and can expand the cargo area by folding down the rear seat. Various folding patterns of rear seat are provided. The double folding type that pushes a backrest portion down forward after raising a sitting portion forward is typical. In this case the back of the backrest portion becomes a flat carrier. Furthermore, among cars, there are some car models which maintain a double folding state, by engaging the hook fixed on an upper portion of the backrest portion with an engagement portion fixed on the back of the sitting portion.
In recent years, when picking up infants by car, it is required to sit infants down in a child seat which is mounted on a car seat. To mount the child seat on the rear seat, for example, a system is proposed which fixes a lower portion of the child seat to a bracket called a lower anchor provided on a body floor, and fixes an upper portion by hanging a tether strap with the backrest portion. The tether strap is fixed on the rear of the backrest portion of the child seat, and is fixed on the back of the backrest portion by hanging to an upper portion of the backrest portion of the rear seat.
However, the tether strap easily slips off sideways because sliding occurs. Therefore, it was difficult to mount the child seat due to this slip. In addition, when an infant sits down in the child seat, the backrest portion is deformed as the tether strap bites into the top portion of the backrest portion. As a result, there are cases in which a user is dissatisfied. A guide for preventing the side slip of the tether strap and a hard protection pad for preventing biting are provided to the backrest portion for solving these inconveniences. However, by the conventional technique, the cost is increased due to the increase in the number of parts and the number of the assembly processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a seat apparatus for an automobile which can mount a child seat easily to prevent the side slip of the tether strap and biting into the backrest portion, while suppressing increase in cost.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, a seat apparatus for an automobile comprising: a backrest portion which can be tilted; a hook mounted on an upper portion, which is a tilting end, of said backrest portion; a sitting portion which can be raised on a fulcrum, which is a front edge; an engaged portion which can engage a hook mounted on a rear of said sitting portion, in which when said sitting portion is raised and the rear of said sitting portion is turned toward the backrest portion side, and subsequently, said backrest portion is tilted forward, said hook is engaged with said engaged portion, said backrest portion and said sitting portion are fixed to each other, setting the double folding state; wherein said hook is arranged at a position where a tether strap for mounting an auxiliary seat on said backrest portion is hung, and said hook is integrally formed with a guide of said tether strap.
In accordance with the present invention, to provide the upper part of a child seat on a seat apparatus for an automobile, a tether strap of a child seat is hung on a hook of a backrest portion and is extended to the rear of a backrest portion using a guide, and a fixed end of the guide is fixed to a predetermined place. The tether strap can be fixed in a straight state without slipping off to the side by the guide. Moreover, since the backrest portion is protected with the hook, the biting of the tether strap is prevented. In addition, it is possible to reliably position the child seat for the backrest portion since side slipping of the tether strap is prevented by the guide. Therefore, it is possible to easily mount the child seat on the seat. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress increase in cost, and to prevent increasing the number of parts and the number of assembly processes, since the guide is integrally mounted with the hook.
In accordance with a preferable aspect of the present invention, the guide comprises sidewall portions formed on both edges of the hook, and projections which project and bend inward from upper edges of the sidewall portions. It is possible to surely position the child seat for the backrest portion since side slipping of the tether strap is prevented by sidewall portions and projections of the guide. Therefore, it is possible to easily mount the child seat on the seat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4512609 (1985-04-01), Parsson
patent: 5558386 (1996-09-01), Tilly et al.
patent: 5795023 (1998-08-01), Kayumi
patent: 6070939 (2000-06-01), Matsuo et al.
patent: 6155639 (2000-12-01), Frolo
Okamoto Kazuki
Tobita Masataka
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Barfield Anthony D
NHK Spring Co. Ltd.
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