Child car seat

Abstract

A child car seat (2) to be positioned on a seat of a motor vehicle, comprising a base (1) provided with an ISOFIX coupling system (3), a shell (4) positioned on the base (1) in an angularly inclined manner, the shell having a seat portion (5) and a backrest (6). A top harness anchor (8) has a first end (11) fixed to a coupling point (12) located at a lower part of the shell (4), for example a lower part of the seat portion (4) or the backrest (6). The top harness (8) is engaged with the base (1) around a first return element (13) and with the shell (4) around a second return element (14) located at the top of the backrest (6). The positions of the coupling point and return elements (12, 13, 14) allow the shell (4) to be inclined without the need to readjust the tension of the top harness (8), since the tension remains substantially constant.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement in the way a child safety car seat is anchored to a motor vehicle by means of a top tether, aimed at improving the safety of the anchoring to the motor vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] The seat referred to by the present invention is preferably, but not exclusively, of the type configured to be positioned on the rear seat of a motor vehicle with the child's face facing forward, and of the type comprising a base provided with devices known as ISOFIX for anchoring the base to the rear seat of the motor vehicle, and a shell provided with a seat portion and a backrest and positioned on the base in an angularly inclined manner with respect to the base, which can be connected to the fixing points of the motor vehicle by means of an anchoring element known as "top tether".

[0003] Child safety car seats equipped with motor vehicle connection devices such as those described above are known and can also be comfortable for children due to the fact that the shell, in relation to the seat portion, can be inclined with respect to the base, allowing the child to also sleep.

[0004] However, when the shell is in a different angular position with respect to the base, for example with the backrest in an upright position so that the tensioning device is relaxed, the inclination of the shell causes the situation of the top tether, which is coupled to the fixing points of the vehicle, to change compared to the initial situation of the seat.

[0005] This means that manual intervention in the top tether device is necessary in order to adjust the tension of the top tether with respect to the fixing points of the motor vehicle for the new conditions of the car seat.

[0006] Without such an adjustment, the stability of the car seat, and therefore the safety, is obviously compromised.

[0007] An example of the literature that solves this problem is US 20190184863. Therein, one end of the top tether is fixed to a fixed pin of the base. In addition, the top tether is slidably engaged with a return element mounted in the backrest. By inclining the backrest, the mutual position of the fixed pin and the return element is changed in such a way as to limit the relaxation of the top tether.

[0008] However, it is clear that the length of the portion between the fixed pin and the return element varies with the inclination of the shell. Therefore, as can be seen in the figure, the effect of preventing the relaxation of the top tether can only be obtained with a similar change in the opposite direction of the portion between the return element and the top of the seat of the vehicle on which the car seat rests. However, the height of such a seat is obviously beyond the control of the car seat designer, so the beneficial effect mentioned above can only be achieved on specific vehicles. SUMMARY

[0009] The aim of the present application is to make the top harness connection of a child safety car seat uniform, so that in the event of a modification of the reclining positioning of the seat-back shell imparted to the car seat, such modification automatically causes the adjustment of the anchoring tension of the top harness connection to the fixing points of the motor vehicle, without the need for manual intervention for such adjustment.

[0010] The aim and other aims of the present application, which will become more apparent from the following description, are achieved by the anchoring according to claim 1 of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The present application will now be further described with reference to the embodiments of the present application given by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] - Figure 1 a schematic side view of a partial section of a car seat with a shell comprising a seat-back and a seat portion, the shell being positioned in a substantially upright position with respect to the base of the car seat itself is shown;

[0013] - Figure 2 a schematic side view of a partial section as shown in the previous figure, in which the shell of the seat-back and the seat portion has assumed a reclined position with respect to the base of the car seat is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] With reference to the aforementioned figures, the base 1 of the car seat, indicated as a whole with 2, comprises a conventional ISOFIX fixing device, indicated as a whole with 3.

[0015] On the base 1 a conventional car seat shell 4 is placed, which in turn is provided with a seat portion 5 and a seat-back 6, the latter also having an associated conventional headrest 7 for protecting the head of the child.

[0016] Conventionally, the shell 4 is adapted to assume various reclined positions with respect to the base 1 of the car seat, to allow greater comfort to the child, including the possibility of sleeping slightly lying down. In Figure 1 a first position of the seat-back 6 of the shell substantially upright is shown schematically in Figure 2 a different position of the seat-back 6 further reclined to adapt to allow the child to sleep is shown in

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, for the purpose of reclining, the base 1 comprises a guide 10, the shell 4 comprising a pin which slides along the guide 10. For example, the guide 10 can be a slot shaped to slidably house the pin. Preferably, the pin is provided with two slots at its ends, said slots being formed in a support bracket 15 of the base 1 close to the rear of the seat-back 6.

[0018] In addition to the guide 10 formed in the support bracket 15, a further guide (not shown) is preferably provided on the base 1 in the front portion thereof, away from the backrest 6. Correspondingly, the housing 4 comprises a further pin (not shown) which slides in such further guide.

[0019] Furthermore, the seat 2 comprises a locking mechanism (not shown) configured to lock and unlock the sliding of any one of the pins discussed (for example the further pin placed in the front portion) along the respective guide. This fixes the housing 4 in the desired inclination with respect to the base 1.

[0020] According to the present application, the top tether anchorage comprises a flexible element 8, such as a strap, one end 9 (called second end) of which is fixable to a fixed point (not shown) of the motor vehicle, while the other end 11 (i.e. first end) is fixed to a coupling point 12 of the car seat 2.

[0021] The coupling point 12 can be positioned on the seat 5 of the housing 4, or on the lower portion of the backrest 6 of the housing 4. In any case, therefore, the coupling point 12 is located on the lower portion of the housing 4, close to the base 1, and is movable with the housing 4 with respect to the base 1.

[0022] In the embodiment shown, the coupling point 12 is shown by a pin which is used to incline the housing 4 with respect to the base 1, and which is therefore slidable along the guide 10.

[0023] The portion of the flexible body 8 of the top tether anchorage between the first end 11 and the second end 9 is engaged with the base 1 and the housing 4 between a first return element 13 and a second return element 14.

[0024] The first return element 13 is positioned on the base 1 of the car seat 2, and is therefore fixed with respect to the motor vehicle during the inclination of the housing 4. Preferably, the first return element 13 is located on the rear portion of the base 1, close to the backrest 6, for example mounted on the support bracket 15 which also forms the guide 10.

[0025] The second return element 14 is positioned on the backrest 6 of the base 1 at an upper portion of the housing 4, away from the base 1. The second return element 14 can move with respect to the base 1 as a function of the inclination of the housing 4, in the same way as the coupling point 12.

[0026] Preferably, said first return element 13 and second return element 14 are constituted by a body in the form of a cylindrical rod, supported by a support at the axial end thereof. Optionally, said rod can rotate on the relative support about its longitudinal axis.

[0027] The support of the first return element 13 is integral with the base 1, while the support of the second return element 14 is integral with the housing 4.

[0028] The behavior of the safety car seat according to the present application can be particularly referred to Figure 2 It is appreciated that B represents the length of the second portion of the flexible element 8 between the top harness anchorage and the first return element 13 and the second return element 14, while A represents the length of the first portion of the same flexible element between the first return element 13 and the coupling point 12 of the car seat to which the end 11 of the flexible element 8 is fixed.

[0029] As Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, due to the inclination of the shell 4 with respect to the base 1, the first portion A and the second portion B have variable lengths. In fact, due to the configuration of the coupling point 12, the first return element 13 and the second return element 14, in the case of an inclination movement that increases the inclination of the shell 4 on the base 1, the length B decreases, which causes the relaxation of the conventional tensioning device (not shown) present in the top harness anchorage.

[0030] Simultaneously with such elongation, the inclination of the shell 4 causes the length of the flexible element 8 in the portion A between the first return element 13 and the fixing point 12 to the base 1 to elongate.

[0031] Such elongation compensates the shortening, thus automatically balancing the tensioning device of the top harness anchorage of the car seat when the inclination of the shell 4 changes, thus completely improving the stability and, consequently, the safety of the child being transported in the car seat 2.

[0032] The opposite occurs during a lifting movement, which involves a decrease in the inclination of the shell 4 that returns the backrest 6 to a substantially vertical orientation.

[0033] Such automatic adjustment within the car seat 2 is independent of the height of the seat on which the car seat 2 is placed. The preferred configuration that brings the above-mentioned advantages comprises the coupling point 12 being positioned in front with respect to the first return element 13. In other words, the coupling point 12 and the guide 10 in which it slides are located between the first return element 13 and the front portion of the seating portion 5, away from the backrest 6. This preferably occurs at all different inclinations of the shell 4.

[0034] The flexible element 8 then slidably contacts the first return element 13, passing behind it, to bend between the first portion A, which points to the coupling point 12, and the second portion B, which points to the second return element 14. In addition, the flexible element 8 slidably contacts the second return element 14, passing in front of it, to bend between the second portion B and the outside of the car seat 2.

Claims

1. A child car seat (2) to be positioned on a seat of a motor vehicle, the child car seat comprising: - a base (1) provided with an ISOFIX coupling system (3) for anchoring said base to a seat of said motor vehicle; - a shell (4) positioned on said base (1) in an angularly inclined manner with respect to said base, said shell (4) extending between a lower portion proximate to said base (1) and an upper portion distanced from said base (1) and provided with a seating portion (5) at said lower portion and a backrest (6) extending between said lower portion and said upper portion, said shell (4) being connectable to anchoring points of said vehicle by means of a top tether, said top tether comprising a flexible element (8) extending longitudinally between a first end (11) and a second end (9), said second end (9) being connectable to said anchoring points of said vehicle, wherein said first end (11) of said flexible element (8) is fixed to a coupling point (12) positioned at said lower portion of said shell (4) and said flexible element (8) engages said base (1) by passing around a first return element (13) positioned at said base (1) of said child car seat (2) and engages said shell (4) by passing around a second return element (14) positioned at said backrest (6) at an upper portion of said shell (4), wherein a first portion (A) of said flexible element (8) is located between said first return element (13) and said coupling point (12) and a second portion (B) of said flexible element (8) is located between said first return element (13) and said second return element (14), said first portion (A) and said second portion (B) having a variable length due to the inclination of said shell (4) with respect to said base (1), characterized in that said coupling point (12), said first return element (13) and said second return element (14) are configured so that an inclination movement of said shell (4) that shortens said second portion (B) causes an elongation of said first portion (A) and an opposite lifting movement of said shell (4) that elongates said second portion (B) causes a shortening of said first portion (A).

2. A child car seat according to claim 1, characterised in that said base (1) comprises a guide (10) along which said coupling point (12) of said shell (4) can slide to incline said shell (4) with respect to said base (1) on which said shell is positioned.

3. A child's car seat according to claim 2, wherein said coupling point (12) for the first end (11) of said flexible element (8) is represented by a pin, while said guide (10) comprises a slot shaped so as to slidably accommodate said pin.

4. A child's car seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, said elongation and shortening of said first and second portions (A, B) cause the tension of said flexible element (8) to remain substantially constant during said inclination and said lifting movement when said second end (9) of said flexible element (8) is connected to said anchoring points of said vehicle.

5. A child's car seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, said coupling point (12) is positioned in front of said first return element (13).

6. A child's car seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, said flexible element (8) passes around along a rear portion of said first return element (13) and a front portion of said second return element (14).

7. A child's car seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, Said first return element (13) and said second return element (14) are constituted by a body in the form of a cylindrical rod, supported at the axial ends of said rod by support portions integral with said base (1) and said casing (4), respectively.

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