Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CHILD CAR SEAT INCLINING AND SWIVELLING BETWEEN A
TRAVELLING POSITION AND AN INSTALLING POSITION
The invention relates to the field of child care.
More precisely, the invention relates to child seats
intended to be fitted in a vehicle.
Even more precisely, the invention relates to
movable car seats so that they have an installing
position (facing the door) and a travelling position
(facing forwards).
As regards car seats, one of the difficulties is
accessibility, notably due to the limited space left by
the door and the seat of the vehicle. It is generally
rather difficult to install a child into the seat or to
lift him out of it.
So as to facilitate installing the child, it was
thus proposed to make the seat swivel in relation to a
base or a fixed structure, the seat being likely to be
moved between two positions:
- a position for installing the child, facing the
side door (there are generally two installing positions,
the seat being able to turn either right or left);
- a forward facing transporting or travelling
position.
The invention particularly relates to this type of
child seat.
For safety reasons, it is desirable that the base
holds the seat in at least two positions, on the lower
section (seating part) and on the upper section (near
the upper section of the backrest). Far this reason the
base has two substantially perpendicular sections, one
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leaning on the seat of the vehicle, and supporting the
seating part of the child car seat, and another
extending substantially vertically, along the backrest
of the seat of the vehicle. The latter section
comprises in its upper part means of connection with
the upper part of the backrest of the child seat.
This double bonding naturally reinforces the
safety, notably in the event of an impact. However, it
engenders some difficulties, notably as regards the
adjusting of the position of the seat in respect to the
base.
Indeed it is desirable, for the comfort of the
child, to be able to adjust the inclination of the seat.
It was thus proposed to make the seat slide in relation
to the base. This solution is efficient when the base
only operates in conjunction with the seating part of
the seat.
On the other hand, it can not be implemented in
the above case where the upper part of the backrest is
also connected to the base. Indeed, the backrest also
moves, when the entire body rotates, whereas the base
remains fixed. It is therefore difficult to connect
them in an efficient manner.
Solutions have however been envisaged, with the
help of sliding systems also planned an the upper part
of the backrest and/or the seating part. But these
solutions have an inconvenience, over and above their
complexity. Indeed, it is necessary to bring the seat
into a pre-set inclining position, classically fully
raised, before being able to move the seat so as to
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alter it from the travelling position to the installing
position.
This is quite impractical, as, each time the child
is installed or lifted out, the seat must be put
upright, then moved towards the door, then returned to
the travelling position and finally put into the
desired inclining position. This series of operations
runs the risk of sparse use, in which the seat will
always be in the upright position.
Furthermore, in the event where an intermediary
position is appreciated by the child, it must be
searched from among all the possible positions each
time the seat is put back into the travelling position.
Another inconvenience of known techniques is that
the adjusting of the inclination can only take place
when the seat is in the forward facing position whereas
it would often be easier to do whilst installing the
child into his seat.
The purpose of the invention is notably to
overcome these inconveniences of the prior art.
More precisely, a purpose of the invention is to
provide a child car seat, that swivels between a
travelling position and an installing position,
irrespective of its position of inclination.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide
such a child car seat, whose inclination can be
adjusted in both the travelling position and in the
installing position.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide
such a child car seat, that is simple and inexpensive
to manufacture, and that wears well.
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Thus, a purpose of the invention is to provide
such a child car seat that is relatively inexpensive,
in particularly as regards the number of parts and
assembly time.
Yet another purpose of the invention is to provide
such a child car seat, with good safety characteristics,
and notably whose seat is retained by the upper part of
its backrest.
The invention also has the purpose of providing
such a child car seat, that is simple and ergonomic to
manoeuvre and adjust, and comfortable for the child.
These purposes as well as others which will become
clearer later on are reached with the help of a child
car seat device comprising a base intended to be fitted
to a car seat and designed to accept a seat, said seat
being movable:
- in rotation in a substantially horizontal plane,
so as to allow the movement from a travelling position,
in which said seat is orientated according to the
principal axis of said vehicle, to a position for
installing a child, in which said seat is turned
substantially facing a door of said vehicle; and
- in inclination.
According to the invention, said base has a part
extending substantially vertically so as to lean
against the backrest of said car seat, and whose upper
part has a connection zone with the upper part of the
backrest of said seat, in said travelling position,
said inclination being obtained essentially by rotating
said seat in a substantially vertical plane about a
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fixed point belonging, in said travelling position, to
said connection zone.
Thus, the adjusting of the inclination does not
interact, or barely, with the connection zone. It is
5 thus possible to actuate the latter (to connect the
seat in the travelling position, or to positively
disconnect the seat from the upper part of the base so
as to bring it into the installing position)
irrespective of the position of inclination.
Likewise, it is possible to rotate the seat in all
the positions of inclination, and to adjust the
inclination even when the seat is in the installing
position.
This is notably possible due to the fact that the
inclination is obtained at least essentially via
rotation, and that the axis of rotation lies in the
connection zone, so that the latter remains in a
substantially invariant position.
According to an advantageous embodiment, said seat
is assembled on a single plate, itself ensuring both
the mobility in rotation and inclination.
Said plate then advantageously bears at least one
guiding zone substantially defining an arc of circle,
collaborating with a complementary guiding element
connected to said seat.
Preferably, said support plate bears at least a
rack, defining at least two pre-set positions of
inclination of said seat.
According to another advantageous aspect of the
invention, said connection zone of said base bears at
least a locking element collaborating with at least an
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anchorage element assembled on said backrest of the
seat, when the latter is in said travelling position.
In an alternative manner, we can also plan that
said backrest of the seat bears at least a locking
element collaborating with at least an anchorage
element assembled on said connection zone of said base,
when said seat is in said travelling position.
According to a preferred embodiment, said
anchorage elements) comprise at least a rod, and in
that said locking elements) comprise at least a
housing and/or at least a catching hook of said
cable(s).
Advantageously, said anchorage elements) are
connected to return means with the tendency of
returning them to the locking position.
Preferably, the element, base or backrest of the
seat, bearing the anchorage elements) comprises means
for guiding acting on said anchorage elements) when
said seat moves from the installing position to the
travelling position, and/or vice versa.
Said means for guiding can advantageously act on
said anchorage elernent(s) by opposing the restoring
force of said return means, until bringing said
anchorage elements) into contact with said means for
locking.
Preferably, said means for guiding have a width
sufficient to collaborate with said anchorage elements)
irrespective of the inclination of said seat.
According to another advantageous characteristic
of the invention, the device comprises means for
unlocking, allowing to positively disconnect said
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anchorage elements) from said locking element(s), then
to move the seat from said travelling position to said
installing position.
Notably, said means for locking advantageously
comprise at least a cam acting on said anchorage
elements) so as to disengage them from said locking
element ( s ) .
Preferably, said means for unlocking are
controlled in an off-set manner, by means of a control
cable. Advantageously, said means for unlocking are
controlled by one or other of the two control elements,
respectively fitted on each of the sides of said seat
or of said base.
The invention also relates to child seats
equipping devices such as described above, and the
corresponding bases.
Other characteristics and advantages of the
invention will become clearer upon reading the
following description of a preferable embodiment, given
by way of non restrictive example and made in reference
to the annexed drawings, in which:
- figure 1A and 1B illustrate a child car seat
according to the invention, in the travelling position,
in two positions of inclination;
- figure 1A: seat upright;
- figure 1B: seat fully inclined;
- figure 2 illustrates the upper part of the base
and of the seat in figures 1A and 1B, when the seat is
in the installing position;
- figure 3 is a partial view of the back of the
seat corresponding to a rear view of figure 2;
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- figure 4 illustrates the means of locking fitted
on the seat and the base of the preceding figures;
- figure 5 is a partial view of the swivel plate
bearing the seating part.
The invention thus relates to a child car seat
adjustable in inclination, and swivelling, so that it
can be moved facing the door of a vehicle, so as to
allow the installing and lifting out of a child.
According to the invention, this inclination is ensured
via a rotational movement (or practically rotational, a
slight offsetting being acceptable), the axis of
rotation being located in a connection zone of the
backrest of the seat with the upper part of its base.
Thus, this connection zone, and more precisely the
locking elements that it contains, barely move and can
therefore be activated and employed in all the
positions of inclination. As this becomes clearer in
the following, specific means are planned to allow the
moving of the seat from the travelling position to the
installing position, and vice versa.
We note that until now we have indiscriminately
used the term seat for the entire body, or device,
constituted of the base and the seat, or to designate
the seat itself. From now on the term "seat" will
designate the movable part compared to the base.
Figures lA and 1B illustrate such a device
according to the invention. The base 11 comprises a
substantially horizontal part 111, leaning against the
seating part of the car seat, and a substantially
vertical part 112, leaning against the backrest of this
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car seat. The seat 12 is assembled on the base 11,
through the use of a swivel plate 13.
In its upper part , the seat 12 comprises means
for connection 14, collaborating with complementary
elements designed for this purpose on the upper part of
the base 112.
As previously indicated, the seat 12 can have
several positions of inclination and at least one
upright position (figure 1A) and a greatly inclined
position (figure 1B). Preferably, several intermediary
positions of inclination will be envisaged and indexed
on the swivel plate 13.
This rotation is made about an axis extending
around the means of connection 14, making the position
of the latter rest substantially invariant.
Thus, it is possible to connect and disconnect
these elements 14, so as to return the seat to the
installing position, irrespective of the position of
inclination of the seat.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate this position of
inclination, respectively seen from the front and from
the rear.
As we note in figure 2, the base comprises means
for anchoring 21, detailed in figure 4. The backrest 12
of the seat comprises, as illustrated in figure 3,
means 31 designed to collaborate with the catching hook
21, and means for guiding this catching hook 32 and 33,
designed to return, or guide, the latter into the
anchorage position when the seat is brought from the
installing position to the travelling position,
irrespective of the inclination of the latter.
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These elements are more precisely illustrated in
figure 4.
The catching hook 21 (or rad) is connected to the
base through the use of two plates 41 and 42. It is
5 assembled in such a way so to be rotational, so as to
hook on to or release it from a locking part 43,
connected to the seating part.
In the illustrated embodiment, this part 43
comprises two slots 431 and 432, into which the rod 21
10 is inserted.
Of course, a similar locking system with a single
central slot, or with several spindles each
collaborating with a slot are conceivable. More
generally speaking, a number of other locking systems
can be envisaged as replacements or in addition.
A return spring 44 is fitted to the rod 21. This
return spring 44 tries to return the rod 21 into the
slots 431 and 432, so that the default position of the
rod is the locked position. Another spring can be
fitted to the other side of the rod.
In order to perform unlocking, so as to move the
seat from the travelling position to the installing
position, the rod 21 must be released from the slots
431 and 432. This can for example be obtained through
the use of a cam 45 assembled under the rod 21, and
advantageously operated remotely, via a system of
cables 46.
This cable 46 can be assembled in a sheath 47, and
have its other end connected to a push button 48,
fitted for example to one of the armrests of the seat.
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Preferably, two such systems are envisaged,
respectively on each armrest.
When the cable 46 is pulled, through the use of
the push button 48, the cam 45 is tilted, which then
pushes the rod 21 free from the slots 431 and 432. The
seat can then be rotated.
Other actuating elements can also be envisaged.
Moreover, other means for locking can be envisaged,
so as to render the entire body secure. We can thus for
example plan for a part extending over the rod 21 to
prevent it from disengaging in an untimely manner from
the two slots 431 and 432.
We can also replace the slots 431 and 432, or at
least one of them, with a locking element, bearing a
catching hook or a jaw retaining the rod 21. The
opening, or the releasing, of this locking element can
replace the cam so as to allow the moving into the
installing position, for example with a similar cable
mechanism.
When the seat 12 is returned from the installing
position to the travelling position, the upper part of
the backrest comes into contact with the rod 21 (moved
downwards by means of the return spring 44), by means
of the section 32 or 33, which has an inclined part,
and then progressively raises this rod (by opposing the
restoring force of the spring).
When the seat is returned to the exact travelling
position, the rod 21 automatically moves (still under
the effect of the return spring 44) into the slots 431
and 432. The seat is thus automatically locked without
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the need for any manipulation. We thus have a simple,
safe and efficient system.
We note that the rod can also be assembled on the
seat, and the means for locking on the seat.
Figure 5 represents a partial view of the swivel
plate of the seat previously described.
This plate comprises a rack 51, allowing to index
a series of positions of inclination of the seat in
relation to the base. The plate also comprises, on each
side of the rack, two guiding elements 52 (only one
being represented so as to make the rack 51 visible)
defining an inclination ramp in an arc of circle, in
which a complementary guiding element assembled to the
seat can be slid.
Means for locking and unlocking the inclination
(non-represented) are envisaged. They can for example
classically act on the rack 51.
We note that with such a system, it is possible to
adjust the inclination of the seat when it is in either
the travelling position or in the installing position.
Indeed, only the elements illustrated in figure 5 act
upon this inclination.
The adjusting of the inclination whilst in the
installing position does not affect the locking, when
the seat is returned to the travelling position, as the
rotation is done about an axis substantially coinciding
with the connection zone. We note that the catching
sections 32 and 33 of the rod 21 can also be used to
compensate for a slight movement due to the adjusting
of the inclination.
