Child car seat
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- ES · ES
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WONDERLAND SWITZERLAND AG (100 00)
- Filing Date
- 2010-07-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing child car seats fail to adequately accommodate children of different sizes, particularly in terms of shoulder support adjustment, which can lead to discomfort and potential injury during sudden deceleration events.
A child car seat design featuring adjustable shoulder pads connected to a movable headrest via connecting straps, with positioning elements to secure the straps to the headrest, ensuring the pads move in unison with the headrest to fit various child sizes and limit forward movement during emergencies.
The design provides comfortable fit for children of varying sizes and reduces the risk of injury by minimizing forward movement during sudden stops, enhancing safety and adaptability.
Smart Images
Figure 00000004_0000 
Figure 00000004_0001 
Figure 00000005_0000
Abstract
Description
Child Car Seat Description This application claims priority over Chinese application no. 200910211958.4, filed on December 7, 2009. The invention relates to a car seat for children, more particularly to a car seat for children that is adjustable for children of different sizes. With reference to Figures 1 and 2, U.S. Patent No. 6,471,298 describes a car safety seat comprising a shoulder pad 31, a seat belt 32, a connecting strap 33, a backrest 34 formed with a through-hole 341, and a connecting element 35. The seat belt 32 extends movably through the through-hole 341. The shoulder pad 31 has a movable cover over a portion of the seat belt 32. The connecting strap 33 has an end portion movably connected to the shoulder pad 31 and an opposite end portion that extends movably through the through-hole 341 of the backrest 34 and is connected to the seat belt 32 and the connecting element 35 behind the backrest 34.During an adjustment of the length of the safety belt 32, the safety belt 32 and the connecting strap 33 can be moved together so that the shoulder pad 31 moves simultaneously with respect to the safety belt 32 to accommodate children of different sizes. JP-A-2009006913 describes a vehicle seat comprising a seat portion, a seat backrest, a shoulder pad, and a shoulder pad raising / lowering means. EP-A-2261077 describes a car seat for children that has a headrest arranged in translation with respect to the seat back between low and high positions. One aspect of the present invention is to provide a child car seat having a shoulder pad that can be adjusted in conjunction with a car seat headrest to accommodate children of different sizes. Accordingly, a child car seat of the present invention includes a seat body, a headrest connected to the seat body, a first seat belt and a second seat belt disposed on the seat body, a first shoulder pad unit wherein the first shoulder pad unit includes a first shoulder pad connected to the first seat belt and a first connecting strap interconnecting the first shoulder pad and the headrest.a second shoulder pad unit wherein the second shoulder pad unit includes a second shoulder pad that is connected to the second seat belt and a second connecting strap that interconnects the second shoulder pad and the headrest; each of the first and second shoulder pads having a cover on a respective part of the first and second seat belt, and wherein the headrest is vertically movable relative to the seat body, and each of the first and second shoulder pad units is movably connected to the headrest when said headrest is moved vertically, wherein each of the first and second connecting straps comprises a first end that is permanently sewn to the corresponding first and second shoulder pad. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figures 1 and 2 are schematic partial cross-section views of a conventional car safety seat described in U.S. Patent No. 6,471,298 and which accommodates children of different sizes; Figure 3 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a child car seat according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic view of a shoulder pad unit of the preferred embodiment; Figure 5 is a schematic view of a positioning element of the preferred embodiment; Figure 6 is a front view of a headrest and shoulder pad unit of the preferred embodiment; Figure 7 is a rear view of the headrest and shoulder pad unit of the preferred embodiment; Figure 8 is a partial sectional view of the headrest, illustrating the positioning element in a separable orientation; and Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, but illustrating the positioning element in a docking orientation. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a preferred embodiment of a child car seat of the present invention is adapted for use in a motor vehicle (not shown). The child car seat 1 comprises a seat body 11, a headrest 12, two seat belts 13, and two shoulder pads 2. The headrest 12 is connected to the seat body 11, is formed with two through-holes 121 spaced apart in a left-right direction, and is movable relative to the seat body 11 along a vertical direction to accommodate children of different sizes. The seat belts 13 are arranged on the seat body 11 to restrain the child seated in the seat body 11. The shoulder pad units 2 are movably connected to the headrest 12. Each shoulder pad unit 2 includes a shoulder pad 21 connected to one of the respective seat belts 13, and a connecting strap 22 that interconnects the shoulder pad 21 and the headrest 12. The connecting strap 22 of each shoulder pad unit 2 extends through one of the through-holes 121 in the headrest 12, and has a first end 221 fixedly sewn to a corresponding shoulder pad 21, and a second end 222 opposite the first end 221 that extends through the respective through-hole 121 of the headrest 12. Preferably, each of the shoulder pad units 2 further includes a hook and loop fastening unit 24 disposed at two ends of the corresponding shoulder pad 21 to fasten the two ends of the same together to form a cover that is wrapped around a portion of the corresponding seat belt 13. It should be noted that each hook and loop fastening unit 24 may be implemented using a release buckle mechanism in other embodiments of the invention. Each of the shoulder pad units 2 further includes a positioning element 23 connected to the second end 222 of a corresponding connecting strap 22 and releasably attached to the headrest 12 to prevent separation of the second end 222 of the corresponding connecting strap 22 from the headrest 12 through the corresponding through hole 121. Referring further to Figures 5 to 9, each of the positioning elements 23 includes a frame body having an outer segment 231 and an intermediate segment 232 extending through the outer segment 231. The second end 222 of each of the connecting straps 22 extends through the outer segment 231 of one of the respective positioning elements 23, and is folded and sewn to form a loop around a corresponding intermediate segment 232. Each of the positioning elements 23 has a cross-sectional size larger than the respective through-hole 121 in the headrest 12, and a thickness smaller than one dimension of the respective through-hole 121. Each of the positioning elements 23 is rotatable with respect to the corresponding connecting strap 22 between a separable orientation (see figure 8), in which the positioning element 23 is extendable through the respective through hole 121 together with the second end 222 of a corresponding connecting strap 22, and a coupling orientation (see figure 9), in which the positioning element 23 is supported against a lateral surface of the headrest 12 opposite the shoulder pad 21 to restrain the separation of the second end 222 of the corresponding connecting strap 22 from the headrest 12 through the respective through hole 121. When the shoulder pad units 2 are installed on the headrest 12, each of the positioning elements 23 must be rotated to the detachable orientation and passed through the corresponding through hole 121 together with the second end 222 of the corresponding connecting straps 22 from a rear side surface of the headrest 12 to a front side surface of the headrest 12. Then, each of the positioning elements 23 is rotated from the detachable orientation to the coupling orientation to rest against the front side surface of the headrest 12, thereby slowing the separation of the positioning element 23 and the second end 222 of the corresponding connecting strap 22 from the headrest 12.It should also be noted that, in other embodiments of this invention, the positioning element 23 and the second end 222 of the corresponding connecting strap 22 can pass through the corresponding through hole 121 from the front side surface of the headrest 12 to the rear side surface of the headrest 12 to rest against the rear side surface when turned towards the coupling orientation. Furthermore, the positioning elements 23 can be configured as releaseable buckle mechanisms arranged on the side surface of the headrest 12 and the second ends 222 of the connecting straps 22 to restrain the separation of the second ends 222 of the connecting straps 22 from the headrest 12 through the through holes 121. During an emergency braking action of the car, the child seated in the child car seat of the invention tends to move forward due to inertia. Since the child is in direct contact with the shoulder pads 21 instead of the seat belts 13, and since the connecting straps 22 are fixedly attached to the shoulder pads 21, the forward movement of the child can be limited to the length of each of the connecting straps 22 to prevent serious injury to the child.
Claims
1. A child car seat (1) comprising: a seat body (11); a headrest (12) connected to said seat body (11); a first seat belt (13) and a second seat belt (13) disposed in said seat body (11); a first shoulder pad unit (2) comprising a first shoulder pad (21) connected to said first seat belt (13) and a first connecting strap (22) interconnecting said first shoulder pad (21) and said headrest (12); and a second shoulder pad unit (2), wherein said second shoulder pad unit (2) comprises a second shoulder pad (21) connected to said second seat belt (13),and a second connecting strap (22) interconnecting said second shoulder pad (21) and said headrest (12); wherein each of said first and second shoulder pads (21) has a cover on a respective portion of said first and second seat belts (13); wherein said headrest (12) is vertically movable with respect to said seat body (11), and each of said first and second shoulder pad unit (2) is movably connected to said headrest (12) as said headrest (12) moves vertically; and wherein each of said first and second connecting straps (22) comprises a first end (221) that is permanently sewn to the corresponding first and second shoulder pads (21).
2. Child car seat (1) according to claim 1,characterized in that said headrest (12) is provided with respective first and second through holes (121) separated from each other in a left-right direction, wherein each of said first and second connecting strap (22) comprises a second end (222) that is opposite to said respective first end (221) and extends through the respective first and second through holes (121).
3. A child car seat (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said headrest (12) is formed with a first and a second through-hole (121), one of said first and second connecting straps (22) having a first end (221) that is fixedly connected to one of said first and second shoulder pads (21), and a second end (222) that is opposite said first end (221) and extends through one of said first and second through-holes (121), further including,1. A child car seat (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the positioning element (23) is connected to the second end (222) of one of the first and second connecting straps (22) and is releasably engaged with one of the first and second through-holes (121) to restrain the separation of the second end (222) of one of the first and second connecting straps (22) from the headrest (12) through one of the first and second through-holes (121).
2. A child car seat (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the positioning element (23) has a cross-sectional size larger than one of the first and second through-holes (121) in the headrest, and a thickness less than a dimension of one of the first and second through-holes (121).
3. A child car seat (1) according to claim 4,characterized in that said positioning element (23) is rotatable with respect to one of said first and second connecting straps (22) between a detachable orientation, wherein said positioning element (23) is extendable through one of said first and second through-holes (121) together with said second end (222) of one of said first and second connecting straps (22), and a coupling orientation, wherein said positioning element (23) rests against a lateral surface of said headrest (12) opposite one of said first and second shoulder pads (21) to restrain the separation of said second end of one of said first and second connecting straps (22) from said headrest (12) through one of said first and second through-holes (121).
6. Child car seat (1) according to any of claim 4 or 5,characterized in that said positioning element (23) includes a structural body having an outer segment (231) and an intermediate segment (232) extending through said outer segment (231), said second end (222) of one of said first and second connecting straps (22) extending through said outer segment (231) and being folded and sewn to form a loop around said intermediate segment (232).
7. Child car seat (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of said first and second shoulder pad unit (2) further includes,A hook-and-loop fastening unit (24) disposed at two ends of one of said first and second shoulder pads (21) for releasably fastening said two ends of one of said first and second shoulder pads (21) to form a cover disposed on one of said first and second seat belts (13).
8. Child car seat (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one of said first and second shoulder pad units (2) further comprises a releasable buckle mechanism for releasably fastening said two ends of one of said first and second shoulder pads (21) to each other to form a cover disposed on one of said first and second seat belts (13).