Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CHILD CAR SEAT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a car seat for use in
transporting children in an automobile.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Car safety seats for children are commercially available in a many
configurations corresponding to differences in the age, weight, and size of
the child
being transported. Parents can choose a car seat that is not only the correct
size,
but also suits their tastes, budget, and life style. As children grow in size
and
maturity level, they need different kinds of car seats. For example, a child
may
initially use a rearwardly facing infant car seat, then graduate to a forward
facing
toddler seat with an integrated harness, and finally to a belt positioning
booster seat
utilizing the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt system before being able to
safely use
the vehicle's seat belts alone.
There are many car seats on the market that can be used in multiple
configurations. For instance, a forward facing car seat with an integral
harness
appropriate for a 20 ¨40 pound child might accommodate a child weighing 30¨
100
pounds as a belt positioning booster seat with the removal of the harness and
utilizing the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts. This is convenient for the
care giver
because it means fewer seats to purchase. Some parents choose to buy a belt
positioning booster seat for their older child. Such a booster seat may be
configured
with a high back, such as is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 6,682,143, granted
to
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Davis Amirault on January 27, 2004, or can have no back at all. Older children
who
do not want to be seen sitting in a "baby seat" prefer the option of a belt
positioning
booster seat.
Currently available car seats typically have a monolithic shell, i.e. the
back and seat cannot be used separately. Some car seats are designed to have a
no back base option, but are configured as a separate seat fastened under the
monolithic seat and back, such as is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 4,754,999,
issued
on July 5, 1998, to James Kain. The problem with this configuration is the
redundancy of seats; one as part of the monolithic shell, and one as a seat
only. In
U. S. Patent No. 6,746,080, issued to MihoTsugimatsu, et al on June 8, 2004, a
reversible child seat member is co-operable with a complex base apparatus that
has
a central latching mechanism. A cable actuated latching mechanism for
connecting
a car seat to a base member is shown in U. S. Patent Publication No.
2006/0273640
of Kenzou Kassai, published on December 7, 2006.
The basic purpose of a child's car seat is to protect the child in case
the vehicle in which the car seat is mounted is involved in a crash event.
Protecting
the child involves limiting excursion and controlling the forces exerted on
the child
from the vehicle undergoing a crash event. Improper installation of a car seat
is a
major factor in a loss of protection for the child. If the car seat requires a
complicated or complex belt path along which the vehicle seat belt is
positioned to
secure the car seat to the vehicle seat, the likelihood that the car seat will
be
properly installed is diminished. A belt path for the vehicle seat belt that
is more
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visible and easier to access will increase the likelihood that the car seat
will have a
tight, proper installation.
During the first year of the life of a baby, the child should be positioned
in a car seat in a manner to be facing rearwardly. When the child is over a
year old,
the child can be placed in the car seat in a manner that the child is facing
forwardly.
Presently known car seats require a remounting of the car seat and a
repositioning
of the vehicle seat belt to accomplish this conversion in orientation or the
substitution
of a different and larger car seat. Each time the car seat is reconfigured or
moved
from one vehicle to another, a new opportunity to improperly mount the car
seat on
the vehicle seat is presented, which can be aggravated by a non-intuitive,
complicated belt path for mounting the car seat.
Many child car seats provide options for reclining the seat relative to
the vehicle seat on which the car seat is mounted. Most known child car seats
require a readjustment of the vehicle seat belt when changes are made to the
recline
orientation of the car seat. Readjusting the vehicle seat belt is an
inconvenience to
the person making the recline adjustment and provides an additional
opportunity for
the car seat to become improperly installed, which would not provide the
optimum
safety for the child positioned within the car seat.
Providing a separable base member and car seat that incorporates a
latching mechanism that detachably connects the car seat to the base member,
establishes an opportunity to provide an indicator to show when the seat
member is
properly latched into the base member. A positive feedback to indicate that
the
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latching mechanism has been properly engaged would be desirable. In U. S.
Patent
Publication No. 2005/0275258 of James Patterson, et al, published on December
15, 2005, a first sensor is incorporated into the car seat to indicate the
angular
position of the car seat relative to a first axis. If the angular position is
outside of a
predetermined range, the controller provides an indicator of the improperly
aligned
car seat. U. S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0111821 of Edward Wanner, et al,
published on May 25, 2006, discloses an event data recorder that utilizes
sensors to
indicate the position of the car seat so that the data recorder can be
utilized to
evaluate conditions of the car seat, such as during a car crash. Sensors are
provided on the seat base and on the seat member to detect the proper latching
of
the seat to the base and to detect the proper coupling of the child's seat
belt on the
seat member in U. S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0296254 of Michael Kahn,
published on December 27, 2007, and a notification system is actuated if one
of the
sensed latch devices is not properly secured.
It would also be desirable to provide a latching mechanism that would
positively secure the child car seat to the base member irrespective of the
forward or
rearward orientation of the car seat. It would also be desirable to provide a
latching
mechanism that will not be capable of operation if a child is seated in the
car seat. It
would also be desirable to provide a monitoring system that is operable to
detect an
ineffective latching of the car seat to the base member and provide a warning
of the
unsafe condition resulting from the improper latching of the car seat to the
base
member.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a car seat
for transporting a child in a vehicle, comprising:
a base member connectable to a vehicle seat;
5 a seat
member detachably connectable to said base member, said
seat member having a seat portion on which said child is positioned when
utilizing
said car seat;
a locking apparatus movable between a locked position interengaged
between said base member and said seat member to secure said seat member to
said base member and a released position to permit said seat member to be
disengaged from said base member;
an actuation apparatus operably connected to said locking apparatus
to affect movement thereof between said locked and released positions; and
a latch indicator that displays a signal that said locking apparatus has
been moved into said locked position after a proper positioning of said seat
member
on said base member, said latch indicator including:
a pre-latch sensor cooperable with said seat member and said
base member to indicate said proper positioning of said seat member on said
base
member;
a latch sensor cooperable between said actuation apparatus
and said seat member to indicate the movement of said locking apparatus into
said
locked position; and
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an LED indicator that illuminates to display the indication of both
said pre-latch and said latch sensors.
Preferably both the pre-latch sensor and the latch sensor are proximity
sensors that produce a signal indicative of a magnetic member being within a
sensing range of said proximity sensors.
Preferably a first magnetic member is positioned on said base member
to be cooperable with said pre-latch proximity sensor mounted on said seat
member,
a second magnetic member being located on said actuation apparatus to be
cooperable with said latch sensor mounted on said seat member.
Preferably the LED indicator flashes a first signal representative of said
pre-latch proximity sensor coming into sensing range of said first magnetic
member,
and a second signal representative of said latch proximity sensor coming into
sensing range of said second magnetic member after said first signal has been
demonstrated.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a car
seat car seat for transporting a child in a vehicle, comprising:
a base member connectable to a vehicle seat;
a seat member detachably connectable to said base member, said
seat member having a seat portion on which said child is positioned when
utilizing
said car seat;
a locking apparatus movable between a locked position interengaged
between said base member and said seat member to secure said seat member to
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said base member and a released position to permit said seat member to be
disengaged from said base member, said locking apparatus including first and
second locking pins movable between said locked and released positions;
an actuation apparatus operably connected to said locking apparatus
to affect movement thereof between said locked and released positions; and
a latch indicator that displays a signal that said locking apparatus has
been moved into said locked position after a proper positioning of said seat
member
on said base member, said latch indicator including a pivot member rotatable
about
an axis of rotation and being located to be engaged by one of said locking
pins to
affect rotation thereof when said locking pin is moved into said locked
position.
Preferably the locking pins are supported on said seat member, said
base member including openings therein alignable, respectively, with a
corresponding said locking pin, said pivot member being located on said base
member such that the movement of the corresponding said locking pin engages
said
pivot member when engaged with the corresponding said opening.
Preferably the pivot member has an exterior surface exposed through
a hole in said base member, said exterior surface being divided into a first
section
and a second section, said first section including indicia representing said
locking pin
being in said leased position, said second section including indicia
representing said
locking pin being in said locked position.
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Preferably each said locking pin has a pivot member associated
therewith to provide a indication that each respective locking pin has been
moved
into said locked position.
The arrangement described in detail hereinafter and shown in the
drawings may have one or more of the following features and objectives:
to provide a car seat for transporting children in an automobile that can
be reversed from a rear-facing orientation to a forward-facing orientation
without
dismounting the car seat from the vehicle seat;
to provide a latching mechanism to secure the car seat to the base
member irrespective of the orientation of the seat member on the base member;
that the latching mechanism utilizes a single latch lever to actuate
multiple locking pins that inter-engage the car seat and the base member;
that four locking pins carried by the car seat are retracted from and
engaged into the base member through operation of a single latch lever;
that at least a portion of the latching mechanism is disposed within the
child seat portion so that the retraction of the locking pins from engagement
with the
base member results in a portion of the latching mechanism being projected
upwardly out of the seat portion to prevent the child from disengaging the
latching
mechanism;
that the child residing on the seat member will prevent the latching
mechanism from being actuated;
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that the child sitting on the car seat prevents a portion of the latching
mechanism from pivoting upwardly out of the seat member;
that the latch lever causes a rotation of helical spools that are
operatively coupled with the locking pins to affect linear movement of the
locking
pins;
that four helical spools are coupled to the latch lever to be actuated
when the latch lever is moved;
that the rear helical spools on each side of the car seat are operatively
coupled to the corresponding front spool by a link to affect rotation of the
rear spool
in response to the rotation of the front spool;
it is still another advantage of this invention that the four spools are
actuated simultaneously with the movement of the latch lever;
to provide a positive indication of the proper latching of the car seat
into the separable base member;
that proximity sensors are mounted on the car seat to sense the
proximate presence of a magnetic strip placed appropriately on the base member
such that a signal is generated only when the car seat is properly positioned
on the
base member;
that the sensors operative to indicate proper positioning of the car seat
on the base member irrespective of whether the car seat is in a rear-facing or
front-
facing orientation;
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that the car seat is provided with a pre-latch sensor that indicates the
proper positioning of the car seat relative to the base member and a latch
sensor
that indicates the closed position of the latch lever;
that the pre-latch and latch sensors are operatively coupled to a
5 processor that will illuminate an indicator light when both sensors
generate a signal;
that the closing of the latch lever to activate the latch sensor will not
cause illumination of the indicator light if the car seat is not properly
positioned on
the base member;
that the positive output from the latch indicator mechanism provides
10 feedback that the car seat is properly mounted on the base member;
that the latch indicator can be constructed as a mechanical device that
provides an indication of a proper seating and latching of the seat member
onto the
base member;
that the latch indicator can be a pivoted device engagable with the
transversely movable locking pins to expose a portion of the device that
provides a
positive indicator that the seat member is properly latched onto the base
member;
that the pivoted device is exposed through an opening in a side portion
of the base member to expose one surface when disengaged by the locking pin
and
a different surface when pivoted by engagement with the locking pin;
that the pivoted device is housed in a recline slot of base member so
that engagement thereof by a locking pin can only be attained if the seat
member is
properly positioned on the base member in a pre-latch orientation;
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to provide a latching mechanism for a reversible car seat having a
separable base member, which is durable in construction, inexpensive of
manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and
effective in use.
In general there is provided in the arrangement described in detail
hereinafter a latching mechanism for a car seat that is mountable on a
separable
base member that provides a positive locking of the car seat to the base
member.
The latch mechanism has a member that is positioned in the seat portion of the
car
seat to pivot upwardly when the latch mechanism is disengaged. The seating of
a
child on the seat portion requires the latch mechanism to be retracted into
the seat
portion, which corresponds to the locking of the latch mechanism. The latch
mechanism includes four helical spools rotated by the pivotal movement of the
latch
lever to cause linear movement of the locking pins into engagement with the
base
member. A latch indicator has a pre-latch sensor that indicates proper
positioning of
the seat member and a latch sensor that indicates an engagement of the locking
pins. An indicator light illuminates when the seat member is properly latched.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration
of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken
in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
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Figure 1 is an upper, front perspective view of a base member,
incorporating the principles of the instant invention, mounted on a
representative
vehicle seat, shown in phantom.
Figure 2 is an upper, left front perspective view, similar to that of Figure
1, but showing a seat member incorporating the principles of the instant
invention
mounted on the base member in a forward-facing orientation with the seat
positioned in a fully upright position, the representative vehicle seat being
shown in
phantom.
Figure 3 is an upper, left front perspective view, similar to that of Figure
2, but showing the seat member mounted on the base member in a rear-facing
orientation, the representative vehicle seat being shown in phantom.
Figure 4 is an upper, left front perspective view, similar to that of Figure
2, but showing only a first embodiment of the seat member with a portion of
the left
side of the seat member being broken away to permit the locking pins to be
shown,
the latch lever in the seat portion being in the locked position.
Figure 5 is an upper, left front perspective view of the seat member
shown in Figure 4, the latch lever in the seat portion being in the unlocked
position.
Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the seat member shown in Figure
4, taken inside the left side of the seat member to show the front and rear
actuation
spools on the left side of the seat member in the locked position.
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Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the seat member shown in Figure
5, taken inside the left side of the seat member to show the front and rear
actuation
spools on the left side of the seat member in the unlocked position;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism mounted in
the frame tubes of the seat member, the locking mechanism being shown in the
locked position.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism mounted in
the frame tubes of the seat member, the locking mechanism being shown in the
unlocked position.
Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking mechanism
shown in the unlocked position.
Figure 11 is an upper, right front perspective view, similar to that of
Figure 4, but showing a second embodiment of the seat member with a portion of
the left side of the seat member being broken away to permit the locking pins
to be
shown, the locking mechanism being in the locked position.
Figure 12 is an upper, right front perspective view of the seat member
shown in Figure 11, the locking mechanism being in the unlocked position.
Figure 13 is a front elevational view of the seat member with most of
the seat member broken away to show the locking mechanism in the locked
position.
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Figure 14 is a cross sectional view of the seat member shown in Figure
11, taken inside the right side of the seat member to show the front and rear
actuation spools on the right side of the seat member in the locked position.
Figure. 15 is a cross sectional view of the seat member shown in
Figure 12, taken inside the right side of the seat member to show the front
and rear
actuation spools on the right side of the seat member in the unlocked
position.
Figure 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the second embodiment
of the locking mechanism.
Figure 17 is a cross sectional view of the first embodiment of the seat
member taken near the center line of the seat member to show a secondary lock
apparatus associated with the latch lever, the spring-loaded release button
being
shown in the depressed release position that allows the latch lever to be
raised to
affect an unlocking of the seat member from the base member.
Figure 18 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 17, but
showing the latch lever being lowered to engage the secondary lock apparatus
to
deflect the spring-loaded release button and permit the latch lever to be
locked into
the locked position.
Figure 19 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 18, but
showing the latch lever locked into the locked position by the secondary lock
apparatus.
Figure 20 is a perspective view of the electronic latch indicator
incorporating the principles of the instant invention.
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Figure 21 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electronic latch indicator
shown in Figure 20.
Figure 22 is a partial cross sectional view of the car seat to depict a
mechanical embodiment of the latch indicator, the pivoted member being
5 disengaged from the corresponding locking pin to expose a surface providing
an
indication of the seat member being in the released position.
Figure 23 is a partial cross sectional view of the car seat similar to that
of Figure 22, but showing the pivoted member engaged by the corresponding
locking pin to pivot into a position that exposes a different surface to
provide a
10 positive indication that the locking pain is properly engaged with the
recline slot to
secure the seat member onto the base member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to Figures 1 ¨ 10, a first embodiment of a car seat
incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The
car seat
15 10 can be configured in a number of different positions, as is described
in US Patent
7735921 issued June 15 2008, entitled "Reversible Child Car Seat with
Separable
Base Member. The car seat 10 is formed of a seat member 30 detachably mounted
on a base member 20. As is best seen in Figure 1, the base member 20 is a
separate member that is affixed to a vehicle seat 15, representatively shown
in
phantom, by the seat belt of the vehicle. The vehicle seat belt is pulled
through a
first side opening 22, across a saddle bearing a seat belt latch member 23 and
out
through the second side opening 22 to be connected to the vehicle seat belt
latch
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latch member 23 and out through the second side opening 22 to be connected to
the
vehicle seat belt latch member (not shown) and pulled tight to capture the
base
member 20 on the vehicle seat 15. The seat belt latch member 23 secures the
vehicle seat belt to the base member 20 and is selectively movable to release
the
vehicle seat belt from engagement with the base member 20.
The base member 20 is formed with a central rack member 25 having
a plurality of parallel, horizontally disposed notches 26 to receive the
recline
apparatus, which include a transverse bar that rests in one of the notches 26,
on the
seat member 30 to change the position of the seat member 30 relative to the
base
member 20. The base member 20 is also formed with two pairs of opposing
recline
control slots 27, 28 into which retractable latch pins 57, 59, as will be
describe in
greater detail below, are engagable to secure the seat member 30 to the base
member 20. The lower recline control slots 27 are positioned at a forward
portion of
the base member 20 and is oriented generally horizontally. The upper recline
control slots 28 are located at a rearward portion of the base member 20, but
are
oriented at an inclined angle compared to the lower recline control slots 27.
As a
result, the rearward portion of the seat member 30 will lower as the forward
portion
of the seat member 30 moves forwardly to create a reclined orientation for the
seat
member 30. The upright configuration of the seat member 30, corresponding to
the
latch pins 57, 59 being positioned in the rearwardmost portions of the recline
control
slots 27, 28, is shown in Figure 2.
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The seat member 30 can be mounted onto the base member 20 in
either a forward-facing orientation, such as is depicted in Figure 2, or in a
rearwardly-facing orientation, as is shown in Figure 3. The seat member 30
includes
two pairs of latch members 57, 59 that are retractable in conjunction with the
movement of the latch lever 41 at the bottom of the seat member 30. The
movement of the latch lever 41, as will be described in greater detail below,
is
operable to cause a retraction of the latch pins 57, 59 into the seat portion
33 of the
seat member 30 until the seat member 30 is properly positioned onto the base
member 20, whereupon the latch pins 57, 59 are extended into the respective
lower
and upper recline control slots 27, 28 to trap the seat member 30 on the base
member 20. The positioning of the seat member 30 onto the base member 20
places the recline apparatus into engagement with the recline rack 25 to
prevent the
latch members, or latch pins, 57, 59 from sliding along the corresponding
recline
control slots 27, 28 until the recline apparatus is released through
manipulation of
the recline actuator handle 34 to allow the latch pins 57, 59 to move within
the
recline slots 27, 28.
As seen in Figures 2 ¨ 3, the seat member 30 includes a head rest 35
formed with slide members that are generally vertically movable along a
curved,
concave path along the seat back 32 defined by concave curved tracks formed on
the back side of the seat back 32. Thus, as the head rest 35 is raised, the
top
portion of the head rest 35 moves inwardly toward the front of the seat member
30
providing a more upright back angle for the child as the child gets older and
larger,
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requiring the upward movement of the head rest 35. The back portion of the
seat
member 30 has a control rack formed into the curved track and defining a
plurality of
vertically spaced notches corresponding to different vertical positions for
the head
rest 35. The head rest 35 is connected to a lock mechanism 38 that engages the
control rack. The lock mechanism 38 includes a lock bar that rests in a
selected
notch and is spring-loaded into engagement with the control rack. An actuation
handle 39 is operatively connected to a pivot lever on the lock mechanism 38
to
force the lock bar out of engagement with the control rack to enable the head
rest 35
to be moved vertically.
The first embodiment of the latch mechanism 40 for the seat member
30 is best seen in Figures 4 ¨ 10. The latch lever 41 is recessed into the
seat
portion 33 to form a smooth surface with the adjacent seat portion 33
structure when
the latch lever 41 is moved into the locked position, as depicted in Figure 4.
To
move the locking pins 57, 59 out of the recline slots 27, 28, the latch lever
41 is
raised, as indicated in Fig. 5 to affect actuation of the latch mechanism 40.
The
latch lever 41 is connected to a pair of opposing front actuator spools 42
arranged in
mirror image on opposite sides of the seat member 30. Each front actuator
spool 42
is rotatably supported in the housing of the seat member to be rotated about a
generally horizontal, transversely extending axis of rotation. Similarly, a
pair of
opposing rear actuator spools 44 is rotatably supported within the housing of
the
seat member 30 for rotational movement about a horizontal, transverse axis of
rotation parallel to the axis of rotation for the front actuator spools 42.
Each of the
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actuator spools 42, 44, is formed with a helical slot 43 on the circumference
thereof.
The helical slots 43 on the left side of the seat member 30 being oriented in
a mirror
image compared to the helical slots on the right side of the seat member 30. A
connecting link 45 along each side of the seat member 30 transfers rotational
motion
from the front actuator spool 42 to the corresponding rear actuator spool 44
so that
the pivotal movement of the latch lever 41 causes simultaneous movement of the
front and rear spools 42, 44.
Each actuator spool 42, 44 carries an actuator pin 46 that is engaged
with the respective helical slot 43 and extends through the corresponding
latching
pin 57, 59. The free end of the actuator pin 46 is positionally controlled by
being
placed into engagement with a linear slot 47 formed in the housing of the seat
member 30. The result of the rotation of the actuator spools 42, 44, caused by
the
pivotal movement of the latch lever 41, is that the latch pins 57, 59 are
moved
= linearly in opposing transverse directions, due to the mirrored
arrangements of the
helical slots 43. To provide further stability for the latch pins 57, 59, the
latch pins
57, 59 can be supported for linear movement through the frame tubes 31 forming
part of the structure of the seat member 30. The movement of the latch lever
41
upwardly out of the seat portion 33 of the seat member 30 affects a retraction
of the
latch pins 57, 59 out of the base member 20 and into the seat member 30 so
that the
seat member 30 can then be removed from the base member 20.
When the seat member 30 is disengaged from the base member 20, it
would be desirable that the child not be present in the car seat 10. By
requiring the
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latch lever 41 to be raised up out of the structure of the seat portion 33,
the child
cannot be seated on the seat portion 33, thus assuring that the child has been
removed from the car seat 10. Furthermore, by placing the latch lever 41 under
the
child seated on the seat portion 33 of the car seat 30, the child cannot
accidentally
5 unlock the seat member 30 from the base member 20.
The second embodiment of the latch mechanism 50 is structurally
different from, though operates similarly to, the first embodiment of the
latch
mechanism 40. The actuator knobs 51 are positioned on the sides of the seat
member 30 for convenient access by the caregiver. The actuator knobs 51 are
10 affixed to a transverse actuator shaft 52 that extends through the seat
member 30
and interconnects the opposing actuator knobs 51. Mounted on the actuator
shaft
52, which is formed with at least one flat thereon, are a pair of pivoted
flags 53 that
are recessed within the seat portion 33, as noted above with respect to the
latch
lever 41. Thus, when the actuator knobs 51 are rotated to affect operation of
the
15 latching mechanism 50, the pivot flags 53 will pop upwardly out of the
seat portion
33 when the latching mechanism 50 is moved into an unlocked position. As with
the
first embodiment of the latch mechanism 40, the second embodiment of the latch
mechanism 50 cannot be operated if the child is present on the seat portion 33
as
the child would interfere with the pivotal movement of the flags 53.
20 An actuation link 54 interconnects the respective pivot flags 53
and the
front or lower actuation spools 42. As with the first embodiment of the latch
mechanism 40, the front and rear actuation spools 42, 44 are interconnected by
a
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connector link 55 so that the rotation of the front spools 42 is transferred
directly to
cause rotation of the rear spools 44. The latch pins 57, 59 are mounted on the
axis
of the corresponding actuation spools 42, 44 so that the actuation pins 46
pass
through the actuation spool 42, 44, engaged with the corresponding helical
slot 43
and also pass through the latch pins 57, 59. The front and rear ends of the
actuation
pins 46 are restrained within linear slots (not shown) in the housing of the
seat
member 30 to prevent the actuation pins 46 from rotating with the actuation
spools
42, 44. As a result, the latching pins 57, 59 will move transversely linearly
with the
rotation of the actuation spools 42, 44 affected by the rotation of the
actuation knobs
51 transferred through the actuation link 54.
A secondary lock apparatus 60 may be desired to control the
movement of the latching mechanism 40, 50. Such as secondary lock apparatus 60
is shown in Figures 17 ¨ 19 in conjunction with the first embodiment of the
latch
mechanism 40; however, the secondary lock apparatus 60 could also be
operatively
coupled to the flags 53 in the second embodiment of the latch mechanism 50.
Preferably, the secondary lock apparatus 60 is located at the front of the
seat portion
33 so as to easily accessible by the caregiver when manipulation of the latch
mechanism 40, 50 is desired. The secondary lock apparatus 60 includes a spring-
loaded release button 61 that has a latch keeper 62 affixed thereto for
movement in
a fore-and-aft direction.
As best seen in Figures 17 - 19, the latch lever 41 includes a
downwardly depending latch hook 63 that engages the latch keeper 62 when the
CA 02760710 2011-12-06
22
latch lever 41 is moved into the locked position recessed into the seat
portion 33, as
can be seen in Figure 18. Both the latch keeper 62 and the latch hook 63 are
formed with mating cam surfaces that are operable when the latch lever 41 is
lowered to retract the latch keeper 62 rearwardly against the bias force
exerted by
the spring-loaded release button 61. Once the cam surface on the latch hook 63
slides below the cam surface of the latch keeper 62, the biasing force of the
spring-
loaded release button 61 pulls the latch keeper 62 forwardly to trap the latch
hook 63
beneath the cam surface of the latch keeper 62, as is shown in Figure 19. To
release the latch lever 41, the release button 61 is depressed against the
spring
force to move the latch keeper 62 rearwardly behind the latch hook 63 so that
the
latch lever 41 can be freely pivoted upwardly.
One skilled in the art will readily recognize that a similar secondary
lock apparatus 60 could be provided for use with the pivoted flags 53 to
secure the
second embodiment of the latch mechanism 50 in the locked position until the
release button 61 is depressed to allow the flags 53 to be pivoted, along with
the
corresponding rotation of the actuation shaft 52.
With the utilization of the latch mechanism 40, 50 to secure the seat
member 30 onto the base member 20, a positive indicator of proper engagement
of
the latch mechanism 40, 50 with the base member 20 is desirable. One positive
indicator system can be found in the electronic latch indicator 65 shown in
Figures 5,
17, 20 and 21. A central processor 68 can be located at any suitable location
within
the housing of the seat member 30 that has an open void that will receive the
central
CA 02760710 2011-12-06
23
processor 68 with interference or exposure to impact. The central processor 68
has
a prelatch sensor 66 and a latch sensor 67, both of which are proximity
sensors that
detect the close proximity of a magnetic strip 17, 19 and generate a signal in
response to the sensing of the magnetic strip 17. That positive signal is
preferably in
the form of a yellow LED 69 and a green LED 69a, which are positioned at a
visible
place on the forward part of the seat portion 33.
The prelatch sensor 66 is preferably located near the recline
mechanism underneath the seat member 30 so as to be placed into close
proximity
to the central rack 25 on the base member 20. Since the magnetic strip 17
cannot
be located on top of the central rack 25 due to the movement of the recline
mechanism into and out of engagement with the notches 26 in the central rack
25,
the magnetic strip 17 is preferably placed along the sides of the central rack
25, one
on each side of the central rack. Accordingly, the prelatch sensor 66 would be
offset
to one side of the center line of the seat member 30. Thus, the magnetic strip
17
placed on both sides of the central rack 25 allows the prelatch sensor 66 to
be
operable to sense the proximity of the magnetic strip 17 irrespective of
whether the
seat member 30 is positioned in a front-facing orientation or a rear-facing
orientation.
The latch sensor 67 is preferably located in conjunction with the latch
lever 41 in the first embodiment of the latching mechanism 40 or in
conjunction with
the pivoted flags 53 in the second embodiment of the latch mechanism 50. The
magnetic strip 19 is preferably mounted on the pivoted latch component 41, 53,
while the latch sensor 67 is located in the seat portion 33 adjacent to where
the
CA 02760710 2011-12-06
24
magnetic strip 19 would be positioned when the latch lever 41 or the pivoted
flags 53
are in the locked and recessed positions within the top surface of the seat
portion
33. Thus, when the latch mechanism 40, 50 is moved into the locked position,
the
latch sensor 67 will generate a signal indicative of the latch mechanism 40,
50 being
in the locked position. If for some reason the latch pins 57, 59 cannot pass
through
the recline slots 27, 28, the pivoted component 41, 53 cannot move into the
recessed position within the seat portion 33 and, thus, the latch signal would
not be
generated.
In operation, the placement of the seat member 30 onto the base
member 20 will locate the pre-latch sensor 66 adjacent one of the magnetic
strips 17
and generate a signal indicative of the seat member 30 being properly oriented
on
top of the base member 20. When the pre-latch sensor 66 comes within range of
the magnetic strip 17, a yellow LED 69 will flash a predetermined number of
times
and then go into a "sleep mode" waiting for the latch sensor 67 to be
activated.
When the latch sensor 67 is within range of the magnetic strip 19, indicating
that the
latch mechanism 40, 50 has been placed into the locked position, a green LED
69a
will be illuminated for a predetermined length of time, for example, ten
seconds, to
provide a positive indication that the seat member 30 is properly latched into
a
secure position on the base member 20. When the seat member 30 is to be
removed from the base member 20, the pivoted component 41, 53 is raised to
remove the magnetic strip 19 from the proximity of the latch sensor 67. As a
result,
the central processor 68 awakens and flashes the yellow LED 69 a predetermined
CA 02760710 2011-12-06
number of times. The removal of the seat member 30 will then result in the
central
processor 68 going back into a "sleep mode" until one of the sensors 66, 67 is
again
activated.
If the seat member 30 is not installed onto the base member 20
5 properly and the magnetic strip 17 is never within range of the pre-latch
sensor 66,
which means that the seat member 30 is not properly seated on the base member
20, it is still possible to move the pivoted component 41, 53 into thelocked
position,
e.g. the latch pins 57, 59 ride over top of the base member 20. The central
processor 68 will not show any illumination of a light as neither of the
sensors 66, 67
10 have been activated within the normal sequence. The failure to obtain a
positive
feedback in the form of an illuminated LED 69, 69a will be the indicator that
the seat
member 30 is not safely installed.
A mechanical version of the latch indicator 70 is depicted in Figures 22
and 23. While only one latch indicator 70 is shown in Figures 22 and 23, one
skilled
15 in the art will recognize that a similar latch indicator 70 would be
provided at each of
the recline slots 27, 28, as shown in Figure 1 for example, to provide a
positive
indicator of a proper latching of the seat member 30 onto the base member 20,
as
will be described in greater detail below. The base member 20 is formed with a
recline slot 27 that opens into a pocket 74 formed in the side portion of the
base
20 member 20. In this pocket 74, a pivoted member 71 is supported such that an
exterior side thereof is exposed through an opening 29 formed in the base
member.
The pivoted member 71 is rotatable in place about a central axis of rotation,
and
CA 02760710 2011-12-06
26
includes an engagement end 72 that is positionable in alignment with the
recline slot
27. The pivoted member 71 is spring-biased by the spring 73 to be pivoted into
a
position as depicted in Figure 22 with the engagement end 72 being stopped
against
the recline slot 27 and the exposed surface 75 showing a red colored surface
75
through the opening 29 to provide an indication that the locking pin 57 has
not yet
been moved into the locked position that will secure the seat member 30 onto
the
base member 20.
When the locking pin 57 has been moved as described above to
project into the recline slot 27, the distal end of the locking pin 57
contacts the
engagement end 72 of the pivoted member 71 and forces a rotation of the
pivoted
member 71 against the spring bias exerted on the pivot member 71. This
rotation of
the pivoted member 71 causes the red colored surface 75 to rotate below the
opening 29 and expose instead a green colored surface 75 that is located
adjacent
the red colored surface 75. One skilled in the art will recognize that the
choices of
red and green colored surfaces are a matter of preference and can be formed in
other configurations, including a word indicator that simply says locked and
unlocked, or the equivalent.
Locating the pivoted member 71 in the pocket 74 where the pivoted
member 71 can only be engaged by the locking pin 57 if the seat member 30 is
properly positioned on the base member 20 provides the pre-latch function of
the
latch indicator. The latch function is accomplished by the engagement of the
locking
pin 57 into the pivoted member 71 to force the rotation thereof to expose a
differently
CA 02760710 2011-12-06
27
marked exterior surface 75 to be visible through the opening 29 in the side of
the
base member 20.
