Chairs and seats – Supplemental seat – Adjustable to plural operative positions
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-08
2001-03-06
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Supplemental seat
Adjustable to plural operative positions
C297S256130, C297S354130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196629
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular child safety seat placed on a seat of a vehicle and fastened to the seat of the vehicle using a seat belt with which the vehicle is equipped.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years safety measures have emerged as a critical factor for vehicles, and various vehicular child safety seats have been developed as a device for insuring the safety of a new-born baby, a baby, an infant, and a child of school age (referred to generically as “child” hereinafter) riding in a vehicle.
The Japanese Industrial Standard has established detailed standards in “Vehicle Equipment-Child Protection Device: JIS-D 0401-1996” with respect to a vehicular child safety seat.
According to the Japanese Industrial Standard, the type of a child protection device or child restraint is classified into “baby (including new-born baby) bed”, “infant seat (for both forward and rear facing directions)” and “child seat”. The classification is divided according to the weight range of the child, i.e., W1 (less than 10 kg), W2 (at least 9 kg and less than 18 kg), W3 (at least 15 kg and not more than 25 kg), and W4 (at least 22 kg and not more than 36 kg). In order to satisfy the safety requirements for the classes of W1 and W2, an infant seat, when used in a rear facing direction with respect to the direction of travel, must have a mechanism to prevent the tilted angle of the backrest, i.e. the angle of the surface of the backrest relative to the vertical plane, from exceeding the maximum of 60 degrees at the time of a crash accident on account of the rebound of the infant seat.
In general, the child protection apparatus for weight class W1 refers to an apparatus fixed to the seat of a vehicle in a direction lateral or facing rearward with respect to the direction of travel of a vehicle for babies aged 0-10 months. The child protection apparatus for weight class W2 refers to an apparatus fixed to a seat of a vehicle in a frontward or backward facing direction with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle for infants from 6 months to 3 or 4 years (commercially available as a “child seat” in general). The child protection apparatus for weight class W3 refers to an apparatus for elevating the seat bottom plane for a child aged 3 or 4 years to 6 years (commercially available as a “booster” in general).
Various products have been developed as devices to be applied to vehicular child protection apparatuses for weight W1, W2 and W3.
The rate of usage of child protection apparatuses in vehicles in the Japanese society is extremely lower than that compared to US and European countries. The first factor can be ascribed to the lack of the parents in recognizing the danger associated with vehicles. Furthermore, if a child shows his/her reluctance in being seated in the child protection apparatus, there is a possibility that the child protection apparatus will not be used. These all come from the lack of danger appreciated by adults associated with vehicles.
In view of the foregoing, it is first necessary to reform the recognition of adults as to the danger associated with automobiles. Aggressive official activities by the government are expected. The problem of a child showing reluctance to use a child protection apparatus can be obviated more or less by always having a child seated in the child protection apparatus ever since his/her babyhood, i.e. before a baby begins to take notice, so that the child will take it for granted that a child protection apparatus must be used when riding in a car.
This is extremely important from the social point of view. Thus, a child protection apparatus that can be used consistently from babyhood to school age is desired in order to inculcate the habit and recognition of always using a child protection apparatus for children riding in a car. In other words, a child protection apparatus is desired that commonly corresponds to the specification of all the above-described weight classes W1 to W3.
However, child protection apparatuses currently available on the market are only solitary products for a respective single weight class W1, W2, or W3 independently, or a product that has a rotatable seat and a reclinable backrest as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 1-113007. There is no product that can be commonly used for weight classes W1 and W2, or for weight classes W1 to W3. Although the vehicle infant restraint seat disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 1-113007 seems to be available for consistent usage for W1 and W2 in common, this seat apparatus is intended for only infants and children. It is not suitable for small babies and infants, particularly those in supine and prone positions. This is because the apparatus, when taking a bed-like flat position by reclining the backrest portion, has its head portion open with inadequate support for babies to be laid on the apparatus. This restraint seat does not have the requirements for weight class W1.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular child safety seat that can be consistently used for children of various ages from babyhood to childhood.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicular child safety seat is fixed to a seat of a vehicle using a seat belt with which the vehicle is equipped, and has a support plane for supporting a child. The support plane is provided in a selectable manner to be configurable into a first state forming a bed plane enclosing the head and side portions of a child for laying the child transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and a second state forming a seat plane for seating the child facing forward or rearward with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.
According to the vehicular child safety seat of the above-described structure, the child can be laid transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle. Usage corresponding to weight class W1 is allowed by forming a bed plane enclosing the head and side portions of the child. Also, usage for weight class W2 is allowed by forming a seat plane for seating the child facing frontward or rearward to the direction of travel of the vehicle.
Thus, the vehicular child safety seat of the present invention can be used in common from babyhood to childhood.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicular child safety seat is implemented by a seat device including a seat bottom, a backrest arranged to be reclinable with respect to the seat bottom, a pair of side guards extending from both sides of the backrest and substantially perpendicular to the front side surface of the backrest, a head guard attached at the upper end of the backrest in a manner so as to be angularly orientable relative to the front side surface of the backrest.
According to the above structure, the top and sides of the head and the sides of the body of a child can be protected in a safe and comfortable state to improve the safety of the child in a vehicle.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the above vehicular child safety seat further includes a support device and is a base. The support device includes a pair of arm rests at the inner side and in close proximity to the pair of side guards for supporting the pair of side guards in a backward and frontward rotatable manner about the support point, and a connection plate connecting the lower ends of the pair of arm rests. The base includes a holding device for holding the support device in a rotatable manner to allow rotation in a substantially horizontal direction, i.e. on a substantially horizontal rotation plane.
According to the above structure, the sides of the body of the child can be protected sufficiently. Also, by the reclinable backrest and the support device rotatable with respect to the base, the support device can be oriented in a direction transverse, forward, or rearward with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.
In the above vehicular child safety seat, the
Imamichi Toshiyuki
Onishi Ichiro
Aprica Kassai Kabushikikaisha
Barfield Anthony D.
Fasse W. F.
Fasse W. G.
LandOfFree
Vehicular child safety seat does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicular child safety seat, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicular child safety seat will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2487806