Chairs and seats – Body or occupant restraint or confinement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2002-05-14
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Chairs and seats
Body or occupant restraint or confinement
C297S393000, C297S219120, C297S250100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06386639
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a baby support and more particularly to a baby support adapted to cooperate with a baby seat or toddler seat and support the head of the child therein in a comfortable manner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For a person having a weight under about eighteen kilograms (forty pounds), an additional support mechanism is required for comfortable and safe transportation of that relatively light weight person in a vehicle. More particularly, for a baby, infant, toddler or child up to that weight, safety demands an appropriate car or booster seat.
The car seats or booster seats of the prior art lack head support. Yet head support is critical for comfort. A child needs support for his or her head while riding in a vehicle. If the head is supported, a child may fall asleep in more natural and comfortable position. Such a desired position can minimize undue stress on various body parts, especially the neck of an infant or child.
To develop a support mechanism in order to obtain a comfortable position for a child is difficult. Such a support mechanism must be easily attachable to a child and the supporting, while being easily releasable from the child to be effective. Such a balance is difficult to achieve.
This proper position, for comfort from a support mechanism, is also believed to increase safety for the child riding in a vehicle. Improper head movement can result in severe injuries, especially in a child. Because the child is still in the formative years, such injuries can be more severe, even if the force of movement can be described as minimal for an adult.
Both front to back and side to side movement due to excessive force such as that caused by a vehicle accident can severely injure an infant or toddler. It is especially desired to minimize that movement in toddler or infant. To accomplish this is a major problem. There must be discovered a system for achieving these desired results.
With the studies of child safety now published, it is known that supporting a child within a vehicle is very critical. Firstly, that the infants or babies must be supported in a certain fashion is most certainly. Secondly, the toddlers or youngsters weighing less than eighteen kilograms or about forty pounds do not fit in the standard seatbelts of a vehicle. Some sort of booster seat is needed.
The major defect in these booster seats or toddler seats is lack of head support. In case of an accident, with the head being the dominate part of the body especially for a child, the child's neck can be cracked like a whip by severe head movement, which can cause some damage to the neck and other injuries to the body. Accordingly, it is desired to support the head of an infant or toddler, and minimize this problem.
Support of the head must be accomplished so that the child can remain comfortable and so that the protection can remain effective. Otherwise, a person will have a tendency to ignore the necessity for the safety of the child seat and not proceed with the attachment. It is desired to make the attachment simple and convenient to use in order to encourage its use. But the requirements of the attachments and the simplicity of use are contradictory.
If such a device is simple to use, the question then becomes, is it effective? If it is effective, the question then becomes, is it simple to use? It is desired to maximize the necessary protection, while, at the same time, to achieve the effective use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the many objectives of this invention is the provision of a child seat for use in a vehicle with a head support.
A further objective of this invention is the provision of a head support for a child vehicle seat, which is easy to use.
Yet a further objective of this invention is the provision of a device to protect a child in a vehicle.
A still further objective of this invention is the provision of a comfortable child head support.
Also, an objective of this invention is the provision of a head support for a toddler.
Another objective of this invention is the provision of a head support for an infant.
Yet another objective of this invention is the provision of a head band support.
Still, another objective of this invention is the provision of a supported bonnet for use on an infant or a child.
A further objective of this invention is the provision of a supported cap for use on an infant or a child.
Yet a further objective of this invention is the provision of a device to minimize any undesired front to back movement of a child's head.
A still further objective of this invention is the minimization undesired side to side movement of a child's head.
Also, an objective of this invention is to provide comfort for an infant or a child riding in a child's seat during a ride in a vehicle.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a simplified method of making an infant or a child comfortable during a ride in a vehicle.
These and other objectives of the invention (which other objectives become clear by consideration of the specification, claims and drawings as a whole) are met by providing a head support to cooperate with an infant seat or a child seat, in order to render the infant or child more comfortable.
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Glessner Brian E.
Perrone, Jr. Mathew R. P.
Stephan Beth A.
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