Child restraint

Abstract

A child restraint includes a juvenile vehicle seat formed to include a child-receiving space configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle and a harness coupled to the juvenile seat. The juvenile seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom. The seat back includes a backrest and a headrest coupled to the backrest and formed to include a pair of strap slots. The harness includes a pair of shoulder straps routed through the pair of strap slots formed in the headrest and a crotch strap configured to couple selectively with the pair of shoulder straps to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat within the child-receiving space.

Description

20341-432935-1-CHILD RESTRAINTPRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 728,457, filed December 5, 2024, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 742,107. filed January 6, 2025, the disclosure of each of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a child safety device, and particularly to a child seat. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a child seat for use in a vehicle.SUMMARY

[0003] According to the present disclosure, a child restraint includes a juvenile vehicle seat formed to include a child-receiving space configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle and a harness coupled to the juvenile seat. The juvenile seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom. The seat back includes a backrest and a headrest coupled to the backrest and formed to include a pair of strap slots. The harness includes a pair of shoulder straps routed through the pair of strap slots formed in the headrest and a crotch strap configured to couple selectively with the pair of shoulder straps to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat within the child-receiving space.

[0004] In illustrative embodiments, the child restraint further includes a strapmovement controller configured to control movement of the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile vehicle seat. The strap-movement controller includes a retractor mounted to the headrest adjacent to the strap slots and coupled to the shoulder straps. The strapmovement controller further includes a retractor release actuator configured to move from a locked position blocking movement of the retractor and the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile seat and an unlocked position to free the retractor to retract20341-432935-1- automatically the shoulder straps in a tightening direction through the strap slots to a predetermined tension around a child seated in the child receiving space.

[0005] Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0007] Fig. 1 is a perspective and diagrammatic view of a child restraint including a juvenile seat configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle, a harness coupled to the juvenile seat to secure the child to the juvenile seat, and a strap-movement controller configured to control tightening and loosening of the harness;

[0008] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the child restraint of Fig. 1 showing the harness loosened and the strap-movement controller blocking movement of the harness in a tightening direction and a loosening direction;

[0009] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the child restraint of Fig. 1 showing the strap-movement controller actuated to tighten automatically the harness around the child:

[0010] Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of a portion of the child restraint showing the strap-movement controller including a retractor configured to tighten the harness automatically and a retractor release actuator configured to move from a locked position blocking tightening of the harness by the retractor and an unlocked position freeing the retractor to tighten the harness;

[0011] Fig. 4A is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4 showing the retractor including a spool configured to wind a shoulder strap of the harness about a horizontal axis, a motion-blocking gear coupled to the spool for movement therewith and configured to engage with the retractor release actuator in the locked position, and a biasing element configured to rotate the spool and the motion-blocking gear about the horizontal axis to tighten the shoulder strap when the retractor release actuator is in the unlocked position;20341-432935-3-

[0012] Fig. 5 is a rear view of a headrest included in the juvenile seat showing the strap-movement controller mounted to the headrest to position the spool in line with slots formed in the headrest through which the shoulder strap extends to minimize a distance between the spool and the slot and reduce friction acting on the harness;

[0013] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest showing the retractor release actuator including a strap actuator handle in the locked position and showing the headrest including a headrest height controller having a headrest actuator handle in a locked position;

[0014] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest showing the strap actuator handle and the headrest actuator handle in unlocked positions;

[0015] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest showing the strap actuator handle in the unlocked position and the headrest actuator handle in a locked position;

[0016] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest and the strapmovement controller showing the retractor release actuator including a rotation blocker engaged with the motion-blocking gear of the retractor in the locked position to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis;

[0017] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest and the strapmovement controller showing the rotation blocker disengaged from the motion-blocking gear of the retractor in the unlocked position to free the spool for rotation about the horizontal axis;

[0018] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest showing a headrest lock in a locked position with a backrest of the juvenile seat to block up and down movement of the headrest relative to the backrest;

[0019] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of the headrest showing the headrest lock in an unlocked position disengaged with the backrest to free the headrest and the strap-movement controller for movement upward or downward along the backrest;20341-432935-4-

[0020] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a retractor that may be used with the child restraint of Figs. 1-12, the retractor including a spool, a first motion blocking gear, and a second motion-blocking gear having oppositely-oriented teeth so that the first motion-blocking gear blocks rotation of the spool in a first direction and the second motion-blocking gear blocks rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite the first direction;

[0021] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a retractor that may be used with the child restraint of Figs. 1-12, the retractor including a spool, a motionblocking gear coupled to the spool, a first lock lever configured to engage the motionblocking gear to block rotation of the spool in a first direction, and a second lock lever configured to engage the motion-blocking gear to block rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite the first direction;

[0022] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the retractor showing the first lock lever disengaged from the motion-blocking gear and the second lock lever engaged with the motion-blocking gear; and

[0023] Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the retractor showing the first lock lever engaged with the motion-blocking gear and the second lock lever disengaged with the motion-blocking gear.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A child restraint 10 includes a juvenile vehicle seat 12 and a harness 14 coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat 12 as shown in Fig. 1. The juvenile vehicle seat 12 is formed to include a child-receiving space 18 configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle and is configured to be fixed to the vehicle seat. The harness 14 may be loosened to facilitate child ingress and egress from the child receiving space 18, as shown in Fig. 2, and tightened around the child to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat 12, as suggested in Fig. 3.

[0025] The juvenile vehicle seat 12 includes a seat bottom 20 and a seat back 22 coupled to the seat bottom 20 as shown in Fig. 1. The seat bottom 20 is configured to rest20341-432935-5- directly or indirectly on the vehicle seat. The seat back 22 is coupled to the seat bottom 20 and extends upwardly away from the seat bottom 20. The seat back 22 includes a backrest 24 and a headrest 26 coupled to the backrest 24. The backrest 24 and / or headrest 26 is formed to include a pair of strap slots 28.

[0026] The harness 14 includes a pair of shoulder straps 30 and a crotch strap 32 configured to couple selectively with the pair of shoulder straps 30 to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat 12 within the child-receiving space 18. The shoulder straps 30 are routed through the pair of strap slots 28 formed in the headrest 26. The strap slots 28 and the shoulder straps 30 are configured to move with the headrest 26 upward and downward relative to the backrest 24 as a height of the headrest 26 is adjusted relative to the seat bottom 20. In some embodiments, the headrest 26 is coupled integrally with the backrest 24 such that the strap slots 28 do not move relative to the backrest 24.

[0027] In illustrative embodiments, the child restraint 10 further includes a strapmovement controller 16 configured to control movement of the harness 14 relative to the juvenile vehicle seat 12. The strap-movement controller 16 includes a retractor 34 mounted to the headrest 26 adjacent to the strap slots 28 and a retractor release actuator 36 as shown in Figs. 2-4. The retractor 24 is coupled to the shoulder straps 30 to assist with tightening the harness 14 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The retractor release actuator 36 is configured to move from a locked position blocking movement of the retractor 34 and the shoulder straps 30 relative to the juvenile seat 12 and an unlocked position 40 to free the retractor 34 to retract automatically the shoulder straps 30 in a tightening direction 21 through the strap slots 28 to a predetermined tension around a child seated in the child receiving space 18.

[0028] With reference to Figs. 4, 5, 9, and 10, the retractor 34 may include a spool 42, a motion-blocking gear 44, and at least one biasing element 45 as shown in Figs. 4 and 4A. The spool 42 is mounted to the headrest 26 for rotation about a horizontal axis 43. The motion-blocking gear 44 is coupled to the spool 42 for rotation therewith, and the motion-blocking gear 44 is configured to engage with the retractor release actuator 36 to block rotation of the spool 42 about the horizontal axis 43. The at least one20341-432935-6- biasing element 45 is configured to bias the spool 42 and the motion-blocking gear 44 to rotate about the horizontal axis 43 to wind at least one of the shoulder straps 30 around the spool 42 in the tightening direction 21.

[0029] The harness 14 may further include a central-front-adjuster (CFA) strap 15 coupled to the shoulder straps 30a, 30b on a rear side of the backrest 24 after winding around the retractor 34. The CFA strap 15 is then routed through the seat bottom 20 to a front end of the seat bottom 20. The child restraint 10 may further include a CFA lock 17, such as an A-lock, configured to block movement of the CFA strap in a direction that loosens the harness 14. The CFA lock 17 is configured to block movement of the harness in the loosening direction 23 during impact events, such that the retractor 34 is not the only structure that blocks loosening of the harness 14.

[0030] The retractor release actuator 36 includes an actuator slider 46 coupled to the headrest 26 and a rotation blocker 48 coupled to the actuator slider 46 and configured to engage with the motion-blocking gear 44 in the locked position. The actuator slider 46 is located within a space between the headrest 26 and the backrest 24 as shown in Fig. 4. The rotation blocker 48 is shown illustratively as a pin or rod and is coupled to a lower end of the actuator slider 46 for movement therewith. The actuator slider 46 and the rotation blocker 48 are biased in an upward direction so that the rotation blocker 48 engages normally with motion-blocking gear 44 to block rotation of the spool 42 in the tightening direction 21 and the loosening direction 23. The actuator slider 46 is configured to be actuated by a user to move the rotation blocker 48 out of engagement with the motion-blocking gear 44 so that the spool 42 is free to tighten automatically the harness 14.

[0031] In another embodiment, the retractor release actuator 36 further includes one or more strap locks configured to block movement of the shoulder straps 30a, 30b in the loosening direction 23. The rotation blocker 48 or another portion of the retractor release actuator 36 may unlock the one or more strap locks in the unlocked position.

[0032] The retractor 34 may include a first retractor 34a configured to retract a first shoulder strap 30a in the tightening direction 21 and a second retractor 34b spaced20341-432935-7- apart from the first retractor 34a and configured to retract a second shoulder strap 30b in the tightening direction 21. The first retractor 34a may include the spool 42, the motionblocking gear 44, and the biasing element 45. The second retractor 34b may include a second spool 42b, a second motion-blocking gear 44b, and a second biasing member. The rotation blocker 48 may be configured to engage both the motion-blocking gear 44 and the second motion-blocking gear 44b in the locked position 38 and disengage from the motion-blocking gear 44 and the second motion-blocking gear 44b in the unlocked position 40 so that the first retractor 34a and the second retractor 34b retract automatically the first shoulder strap 30a and the second shoulder strap 30b in unison.

[0033] The motion-blocking gear 44, and optionally the second motion blocking gear 44b. may include a plurality of projections 50 extending in a radial direction outward from the horizontal axis and spaced circumferentially apart from one another about the horizontal axis to provide a plurality of spaces 52 into which a portion of the retractor actuator 36 is received in the locked position to block rotation of the spool 42 about the horizontal axis. Each strap slot 28 may be defined at least partially by an upper slot edge 54 and a lower slot edge 56 and an uppermost end 58 of the spool 42 is located between the upper slot edge 54 and the lower slot edge 56 so that an exit point of each shoulder strap 30a, 30b from the spool 42 is located at a substantially same height as each corresponding strap slot 28. Positioning the retractor 34 in this way minimized friction between the straps 30 and the headrest 26 or other portions of the child restraint so that the retractor 34 is able to more efficiently retract the straps 30 in the tightening direction when unlocked.

[0034] With reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 9-12 the headrest 26 includes a headrest shell 59 coupled to the backrest 24 for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest 24, a headrest lock 60 configured to engage selectively with the backrest 24 to block movement of the headrest 26 relative to the backrest 24, and a headrest release actuator 62 coupled to the headrest shell 59. The headrest release actuator 62 is configured to move the headrest lock 60 between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest 26 relative to the backrest 24, as shown in Fig. 11, and an unlocked position freeing the20341-432935-8- headrest 26 for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest 24, as shown in Fig. 12. The retractor release actuator 36 is coupled to the headrest shell 59 for movement therewith.

[0035] With reference to Figs. 1-5, the backrest 24 may include a first side wall 70a, a second side wall 70b, and a rear wall 72 extending between and interconnecting the first and second side walls 70a, 70b. The rear wall 72 is formed to include a first vertically-oriented slot 74a aligned with a first strap slot 28a included in the pair of strap slots 28 and a second vertically-oriented slot 74b spaced apart from first vertically- oriented slot and aligned with a second strap slot 28b included in the pair of strap slots 28. The first retractor 34a is aligned with the first vertically-oriented slot 74a and the second retractor 34b is aligned with the second vertically-oriented slot 74b. In this way. the shoulder straps 30 and the retractors 34a, 34b travel through the vertically-oriented slots 74a, 74b unobstructed as the headrest is raised and lowered.

[0036] The headrest 26 may further include a headrest guide system 68 mounted to the backrest 24 and configured to guide the up-and-down movement of the headrest 26 along the backrest 24. The first retractor 34a and the second retractor 34b may be coupled with the headrest guide system 68 to resist against loads acting on the harness 14. The backrest 24 may include a first guide rail 86a and a second guide rail 86b spaced apart from the first guide rail 86a. The headrest guide system 68 includes a first headrest mount 88a coupled to the first guide rail 86a, a second headrest mount 88b coupled to the second guide rail 86a, and a mount link 90 extending between and interconnecting the first headrest mount 88a and the second headrest mount 88b. The first and second retractors 34a, 34b are mounted to the mount link 90 so that loads acting on the retractors 34a, 34b are transferred to the backrest 24. Each of the guide rails 86a, 86b may be reinforced with a rigid frame (i.e. respective metal bars) to resist such forces being exerted on the backrest from the harness as a result of the retractors 34a, 34b being located on the headrest 26.

[0037] The backrest 24 may further include a medial guide rail 86c between the first and second guide rails 86a, 86b. The medial guide rail 86c is formed to include a20341-432935-9- plurality of slots 92 spaced vertically apart from one another along a height of the medial guide rail 86c. The headrest lock 60 is configured to extend into at least one of the slots 92 to block movement of the headrest 26 upwardly and downwardly along the backrest 24.

[0038] With reference to Figs. 5-8, 11, and 12, the headrest release actuator 62 may include a headrest-actuator handle 76 configured to be gripped and moved by a user to adjust a height of the headrest 26 relative to the seat bottom 20, a headrest-handle extension 78 coupled to the headrest- actuator handle 76 for movement therewith, and a lock-movement controller 80 coupled to the headrest-handle extension 78 and configured to move the headrest lock 60 from the locked position 64 to the unlocked position 66 to disengage the headrest lock 60 from the backrest 24. The actuator slider 46 may include a strap-actuator handle 82 configured to be gripped and moved by the user to free the retractor 34 to tighten the shoulder straps 30 and a strap-handle extension 84 extending between and interconnecting the strap-actuator handle 82 and the rotation blocker 48. The headrest-actuator handle 76 may be located below an upper end of the headrest shell 59 and the strap-actuator handle 82 may project above the upper end of the headrest shell 59 in proximity to the headrest-actuator handle 76.

[0039] The headrest-actuator handle 76 may be configured to be moved by the user relative to the headrest shell 59 in a first direction 63 (i.e. upward) to free the headrest 26 for movement relative to the backrest 24 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The strap-actuator handle 82 may be configured to be moved in a second direction 65(i.e. downward), different than the first direction, to free the retractor 34 for rotation about the horizontal axis 43 so that the shoulder straps 30 lengthen as the headrest 26 is moved in an upward direction away from the seat bottom 20 and tighten as the headrest 26 is moved in a downward direction toward the seat bottom 20 as shown in Fig. 7. The handles 76, 82 are positioned for ergonomic, one-hand actuation by a user. For example, the users fingers can squeeze the headrest actuator handle 76 in the first direction while the user’s palm pushes the strap-actuator handle 82 in the second direction to unlock both the headrest 26 and the retractor 34 at the same time.20341-432935-10-

[0040] The headrest release actuator 62 may be arranged alongside the retractor release actuator 36, and they may be movable relative to the headrest shell 59 independently of one another. When height adjustment of the headrest 26 is not needed, only the strap actuator handle 82 can be pressed to unlock the retractor 34 to tighten automatically the harness 14 around the child as shown in Fig. 8.

[0041] In some embodiments, movement of the headrest release actuator 62 may be locked relative to the retractor release actuator 36 such that movement of the headrest release actuator 62 may locked until the retractor release actuator 36 is unlocked. In this manner, the up-and-down movement of the headrest 26 may be limited, or contingent upon, release of the retractor 34.

[0042] In some embodiments, and with reference to Fig. 13, the retractor 230 may include a spool 250, a first ratchet gear 254 coupled to the spool 250, a second ratchet gear 256 coupled to the spool 250 and spaced apart from the first ratchet gear 254, and at least one biasing element 252 configured to rotate the spool 250 about a horizontal axis 250A, the first ratchet gear 254, and the second ratchet gear 256 to tighten the shoulder straps 30. The first ratchet gear 254 may have teeth 254T oriented to block rotation of the retractor 230 in a first direction, and the second ratchet gear 256 may have teeth 256T oriented to block rotation of the retractor 230 in a second direction opposite the first direction. The retractor release actuator 234 may be configured to disengage from the first ratchet gear 254 to free the retractor 230 for movement in the first direction to tighten the shoulder straps 30, and the retractor actuator 234 may be configured to disengage from the second ratchet gear 256 to free the shoulder straps 30 for movement in a loosening direction 23 while the retractor 230 is engaged with the first ratchet gear 254 to block movement of the shoulder straps 30 in the tightening direction 21.

[0043] In another embodiment, and with reference to Figs. 14-16 the retractor 330 includes a spool 350, a ratchet gear 354 coupled to the spool 350, a first lock lever 360 configured to engage the ratchet gear 354, at the ratchet gear teeth 354T, when the retractor actuator 334 is in the locked position 338 to block movement of the shoulder straps 30 in the tightening direction 21, a second lock lever 358 configured to engage the20341-432935-11- ratchet gear 354, at the ratchet gear teeth 354T, when the retractor actuator 36 is in a second locked position 338b to block movement of the spool 350 in a loosening direction 23, and a biasing element 352 configured to bias the spool 350 and the ratchet gear for movement about a horizontal axis 350A to wind at least one of the shoulder straps 30 in the tightening direction 21 when the retractor actuator 36 is in the unlocked position 340 in which both lock levers 358, 360 are disengaged from the ratchet gear 354. The retractor actuator 334 may be configured to displace either of the first or second lock levers 360, 358 to move the lock levers 360, 358 from their respective locked position 338, 338b to the unlocked position 340.

[0044] Additional, nonlimiting embodiments are detailed below, wherein like reference numerals should be understood to reference like features.

[0045] A child restraint 10 includes a juvenile vehicle seat 12 and a harness 14 coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat 12 as shown, for example, in Fig. 1. The child restraint 10 further includes a strap-movement controller 16, in accordance with the present disclosure, configured to control movement of shoulder straps 30 included in the harness 14 to adjust the harness 14 around a child seated in the juvenile vehicle seat 12.

[0046] The harness 14 can be adjusted to fit snuggly on a child seated in the juvenile vehicle seat 12 by actuating or activating the strap-movement controller 16 to cause the shoulder straps 30 to retract automatically in an inward direction (also called a tightening direction 21) toward a seat back 22 included in the juvenile vehicle seat 12 without the caregiver pulling or moving the shoulder straps 30, or any other strap included in the harness 14. The strap-movement controller 16 is also configured to block selectively movement of the shoulder straps 30 in an opposite outward direction (also called a loosening direction 23) unless the caregiver first operates the strap movement controller 16 during a harness-loosening activity to release the shoulder straps 30. In some embodiments, the strap-movement controller 16 also causes the shoulder straps 30 to extend automatically in the outward direction upon actuation or activation of the strap movement controller 16 without the caregiver pulling or moving the shoulder straps 30, or any other strap included in the harness 14.20341-432935-12-

[0047] The strap-movement controller 16 includes a first harness retractor 34a coupled to the seat back 22 and to the first shoulder strap 30a, a second harness retractor 34b coupled to the seat back 22 and to the second shoulder strap 30b, and a retractor actuator 36 coupled to the first and second harness retractors 34a, 34b. The first and second harness retractors 34a, 34b are located on a rearward side 22R of the seat back 22 and are aligned with respective strap slots 28a, 28b formed in the seat back 22 and configured to receive each respective shoulder strap 30a, 30b. The harness retractors 34a, 34b are configured to apply a tightening force on each respective shoulder strap 30a, 30b to retract each shoulder strap 30a, 30b through each respective slot 28a, 28b in the inward / tightening direction 21. The retractor actuator 36 can be actuated from a neutral position, in which movement of the straps 30a, 30b is blocked in both directions 17. 19. to a first position, in which movement of the straps 30a, 30b is blocked in only the inward direction, and to a second position, in which movement of the straps 30a, 30b is blocked in only the outward direction. The retractor actuator 36 and / or the retractors 34a, 34b can be biased to the neutral position so that movement of the straps 30a, 30b is normally blocked absent actuation of the retractor actuator 36 by a caregiver. In some embodiments, only one retractor 34 can be used to retract both straps 30a, 30b in unison.

[0048] In the illustrative embodiment, the retractors 34a, 34b include a winding shaft or spool 42 and at least one resilient element 45, such as a clock spring. The resilient element(s) 45 is configured to wind the straps 30a, 30b around the shaft 42, such as by biasing the shafts 42 to rotate in a direction that pulls the straps 30a, 30b automatically through the slots 28a, 28b in the inward direction when the retractor actuator 36 is in the first position. The resilient elements 45 can be disengaged from the shaft 42 or the straps 30a, 30b when the retractor actuator 36 is in the second position to allow a caregiver to extend the straps 30a, 30b in the outward direction. The retractors 34a, 34b may include one or more additional resilient elements to bias the shaft 42 to rotate in an opposite direction when the retractor actuator 36 is in the second position so that the straps 30a, 30b extend automatically in the outward direction.20341-432935-13-

[0049] The seat back 22 in the illustrative embodiment includes a backrest 24 and a headrest 26 coupled to the backrest 24. The headrest 26 is configured to move upwardly and downwardly along the backrest 24 to adjust a height of the headrest 26 relative to the backrest 24. In some embodiments, the headrest 26 can be integrated with the backrest 24 such that it does not move upwardly and downwardly.

[0050] In the illustrative embodiment, the retractors 34a, 34b are mounted to the headrest 26 for movement therewith to minimize a distance between the retractors 34a, 34b and an exit point where each shoulder strap 30a, 30b exits each corresponding slot 28a, 28b on a forward side 22F of the seat back 22. Minimizing the distance between the retractors 34a, 34b and the exit point of each strap 30a, 30b reduces friction acting on the straps 30a, 30b so that the retractors 34a, 34b can operate more efficiently in moving the straps 30a, 30b through the slots 28a, 28b. The retractors 34a, 34b are mounted to the headrest 26 in a location that aligns the straps 30a, 30b with the openings 28a, 28b. In other words, the exit point of each strap 30a, 30b is at the same or substantially the same height (i.e. within one inch) as the slots 28a, 28b.

[0051] The slots 28a, 28b are formed in the headrest 26 such that the slots 28a, 28b and the retractors 34a, 34b move upwardly and downwardly along the backrest 24 with the headrest 26. In some embodiments in which the headrest 26 is integral with the backrest 24, a plurality of vertically spaced slots 28a. 28b can be formed in the seat back 22 and the retractors 34a, 34b can be moveable upwardly and downwardly along the backrest 24 and the headrest 26 to adjust alignment with each set of slots 28a, 28b.

[0052] The retractor actuator 36 includes a handle or button in the illustrative embodiment. The handle or button is configured to be actuated (i.e. pulled or pressed) to change the retractor actuator 36 between the various positions The handle or button may be mounted to the headrest 26 for movement therewith and then actuated to move relative to the retractors 34a, 34b. In some embodiments, the retractor actuator 36 is coupled directly to the retractors 34a, 34b to block movement thereof. In other embodiments, the retractor actuator 36 is indirectly coupled to the retractors 34a, 34b.20341-432935-14-

[0053] A first illustrative embodiment of a retractor 230 that may be used with the strap-movement controller 16 is shown in Fig. 3. The retractor 230 includes the shaft 250, at least one resilient element 252, a first ratchet gear 254, and a second ratchet gear 256. Each rachet gear 254, 256 is coupled to the shaft 250 for rotation therewith about an axis 250A. The first ratchet gear 254 has teeth 254T configured to engage with the retractor actuator 234 and oriented to block rotation of the shaft in a first direction about the axis 250 A. The second ratchet gear 256 has teeth 256T configured to engage the retractor actuator 234 and oriented to block rotation of the shaft 250 in an opposite, second direction about the axis 250A. The retractor actuator 234 can disengage from the first ratchet gear 254 upon movement to the first position and can disengage from the second ratchet gear 256 upon movement to the second position. The retractor actuator 234 can lock the shaft 250 in both directions in the neutral position.

[0054] A second embodiment of a retractor 330 that may be used with the strapmovement controller 16 is shown in Figs. 4-6. The retractor 330 includes a shaft 350, at least one resilient element 352, a ratchet gear 354, and a pair of lock levers 358, 360. The rachet gear 354 is coupled to the shaft 350 for rotation therewith about an axis 350A. The ratchet gear 354 has teeth 354T configured to engage with the lock levers 358, 360 to block rotation of the shaft 350 about the axis 350A. The retractor actuator 334 is configured to move the first lock lever 358 to disengage from the ratchet gear 354 upon movement to the first position so that the shaft is able to rotate about the axis 350A in a first direction. The retractor actuator 334 is configured to move the second lock lever 360 to disengage from the ratchet gear 354 upon movement to the second position so that the shaft is able to rotate about the axis 350A in an opposite second direction. The retractor actuator 334 is disengaged from both lock levers 358, 360 to lock the shaft 350 in both directions in the neutral position.

[0055] In some embodiments, the retractor includes a shaft, at least one resilient element, a sprocket gear, and a lock bar. The sprocket gear is coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith about an axis. The sprocket gear has teeth configured to engage with the lock bar to block rotation of the shaft about the axis. The retractor actuator is20341-432935-15- configured to move the lock bar to disengage from the sprocket gear so that the shaft is able to rotate about the axis in either direction. The lock bar extends between a first retractor and a second retractor to lock and unlock both retractors in unison with one another.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first harness retractor includes a shaft, at least one resilient element, and a sprocket gear. The second harness retractor includes a shaft, at least one resilient element, and a sprocket gear. Each sprocket gear is coupled to the respective shaft for rotation therewith about an axis. Each sprocket gear has teeth configured to engage with a lock bar to block rotation of the respective shaft about the respective axis. In the illustrative embodiment, the sprocket gear of the first harness retractor and the sprocket gear of the second harness retractor are positioned on either side of a center spine of the backrest.

[0057] In some embodiments, the retractor actuator is configured to move the lock bar to disengage from the sprocket gears so that the shafts are able to rotate about the axes in either direction. The lock bar extends between the first retractor and the second retractor to lock and unlock both retractors, in unison with one another. The lock bar is coupled to the retractor actuator for movement therewith. Upon activation of the retractor actuator, the lock bar engages with or disengages from the teeth of the sprocket gear.

[0058] In some embodiments, the headrest includes a headrest actuator configured to adjust the position of the headrest and a headrest slider coupled to the headrest actuator. A headrest locking rod is coupled to the strap-movement controller for movement therewith. The headrest locking rod selectively engages a slot of a plurality of slots formed in the center spine of the backrest. The headrest slider is configured to engage the headrest locking rod upon activation of the headrest actuator to disengage the headrest locking rod from the slot. As such, a caregiver is able to change the position of the headrest.

[0059] In some embodiments, the headrest actuator and the retractor actuator are slidably engaged. In the illustrative embodiment, the headrest actuator is translated in an20341-432935-16- upward direction to change the position of the headrest and the retractor actuator is translated in a downward direction to disengage the lock bar from the sprocket gears. When the headrest actuator is translated in the upward direction, the headrest actuator may block the retractor actuator from translating in the downward direction and therefore blocks the lock bar from disengaging from the sprocket gears. Thus, when a caregiver changes the position of the headrest, movement of the straps may be blocked in both directions. Similarly, when a caregiver activates the retractor actuator in the downward direction, the headrest actuator may be blocked from translating in the upward direction and, therefore, blocks the headrest locking rod from disengaging from the slot. Thus, when a caregiver moves the straps, changing the position of the headrest is blocked.

[0060] The following numbered clauses include embodiments that are contemplated and non-limiting:

[0061] Clause 1. A child restraint includes a juvenile vehicle seat formed to include a child-receiving space configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle.

[0062] Clause 2. The child restraint of clause 1, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, the juvenile seat including a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom, the seat back including a backrest and a headrest coupled to the backrest and formed to include a pair of strap slots.

[0063] Clause 3. The child restraint of clause 2, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including a harness coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat and including a pair of shoulder straps routed through the pair of strap slots formed in the headrest and a crotch strap configured to couple selectively with the pair of shoulder straps to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat within the child-receiving space.

[0064] Clause 4. The child restraint of clause 3, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including a strap-movement controller configured to control movement of the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile vehicle seat.

[0065] Clause 5. The child restraint of clause 4, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, the strap-movement controller including a retractor20341-432935-17- mounted to the headrest adjacent to the strap slots and coupled to the shoulder straps and a retractor release actuator configured to move from a locked position blocking movement of the retractor and the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile seat and an unlocked position to free the retractor to retract automatically the shoulder straps in a tightening direction through the strap slots to a predetermined tension around a child seated in the child receiving space.

[0066] Clause 6. The child restraint of clause 5, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor includes a spool mounted to the headrest for rotation about a horizontal axis, a motion-blocking gear coupled to the spool for rotation therewith and configured to engage with the retractor actuator to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis, and at least one biasing element configured to bias the spool and the motion-blocking gear to rotate about the horizontal axis to wind at least one of the shoulder straps around the spool in the tightening direction.

[0067] Clause 7. The child restraint of clause 6, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the motion-blocking gear includes a plurality of projections extending in a radial direction outward from the horizontal axis and spaced circumferentially apart from one another about the horizontal axis to provide a plurality of spaces into which a portion of the retractor actuator is received in the locked position to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis.

[0068] Clause 8. The child restraint of clause 7, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein each strap slot is defined at least partially by an upper slot edge and a lower slot edge and an uppermost end of the spool is located between the upper slot edge and the lower slot edge so that an exit point of each shoulder strap from the spool is located at a substantially same height as each corresponding strap slot.

[0069] Clause 9. The child restraint of clause 7. any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor release actuator includes an20341-432935-18- actuator slider coupled to the headrest and a rotation blocker coupled to the actuator slider and configured to engage with the motion-blocking gear in the locked position.

[0070] Clause 10. The child restraint of clause 9, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor includes a first retractor configured to retract a first shoulder strap in the tightening direction and a second retractor spaced apart from the first retractor and configured to retract a second shoulder strap in the tightening direction, the first retractor including the spool, the motionblocking gear, and the biasing element, and the second retractor including a second spool, a second motion-blocking gear, and a second biasing member.

[0071] Clause 11. The child restraint of clause 10, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the rotation blocker is configured to engage both the motion-blocking gear and the second motion-blocking gear in the locked position and disengage from the motion-blocking gear and the second motion-blocking gear in the unlocked position so that the first retractor and the second retractor retract automatically the first shoulder strap and the second shoulder strap in unison.

[0072] Clause 12. The child restraint of clause 5. any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest includes a headrest shell coupled to the backrest for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest, a headrest lock configured to engage selectively with the backrest to block movement of the headrest relative to the backrest, and a headrest release actuator coupled to the headrest shell and configured to move the headrest lock between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest relative to the backrest and an unlocked position freeing the headrest for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest.

[0073] Clause 13. The child restraint of clause 12, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor release actuator includes an actuator slider coupled to the headrest shell and a rotation blocker coupled to the actuator slider and configured to engage with the retractor in the locked position to block rotation of the retractor about a horizontal axis to tighten the shoulder straps in the tightening direction.20341-432935-19-

[0074] Clause 14. The child restraint of clause 13, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest release actuator includes a headrest-actuator handle configured to be gripped and moved by a user to adjust a height of the headrest relative to the seat bottom, a headrest-handle extension coupled to the headrest-actuator handle for movement therewith, and a lock-movement controller coupled to the headrest-handle extension and configured to move the headrest lock from the locked position to the unlocked position to disengage the headrest lock from the backrest.

[0075] Clause 15. The child restraint of clause 14, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the actuator slider includes a strapactuator handle configured to be gripped and moved by the user to free the retractor to tighten the shoulder straps and a strap-handle extension extending between and interconnecting the strap-actuator handle and the rotation blocker.

[0076] Clause 16. The child restraint of clause 15, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest-actuator handle is located below an upper end of the headrest shell and the strap-actuator handle projects above the upper end of the headrest shell in proximity to the headrest-actuator handle.

[0077] Clause 17. The child restraint of clause 16, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest-actuator handle is configured to be moved by the user relative to the headrest shell in a first direction to free the headrest for movement relative to the backrest and the strap-actuator handle is configured to be moved in a second direction, different than the first direction, to free the retractor for rotation about the horizontal axis so that the shoulder straps lengthen as the headrest is moved in an upward direction away from the seat bottom and tighten as the headrest is move in a downward direction toward the seat bottom.

[0078] Clause 18. The child restraint of clause 10, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest release actuator is arranged alongside the retractor release actuator are movable relative to the headrest shell independently of one another.20341-432935-20-

[0079] Clause 19. The child restraint of clause 5, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the backrest includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall extending between and interconnecting the first and second side walls, the rear wall is formed to include a first vertically-oriented slot aligned with a first strap slot included in the pair of strap slots and a second vertically-oriented slot spaced apart from first vertically-oriented slot and aligned with a second strap slot included in the pair of strap slots.

[0080] Clause 20. The child restraint of clause 19, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor includes a first retractor aligned with the first vertically-oriented slot and coupled to a first shoulder strap included in the pair of shoulder straps and a second retractor aligned with the second vertically- oriented slot and coupled to a second shoulder strap included in the pair of shoulder straps.

[0081] Clause 21. The child restraint of clause 20, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest includes a headrest shell coupled to the backrest for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest, a headrest lock configured to engage selectively with the backrest to block movement of the headrest relative to the backrest, a headrest release actuator coupled to the headrest shell and configured to move the headrest lock between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest relative to the backrest and an unlocked position freeing the headrest for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest, and a headrest guide system mounted to the backrest and configured to guide the up-and-down movement of the headrest along the backrest.

[0082] Clause 22. The child restraint of clause 21, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the first retractor and the second retractor are coupled with the headrest guide system.

[0083] Clause 23. The child restraint of clause 22, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein backrest includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail the headrest guide system includes a first headrest mount coupled to the20341-432935-21- first guide rail, a second headrest mount coupled to the second guide rail, and a mount link extending between and interconnecting the first headrest mount and the second headrest mount, the first and second retractors being mounted to the mount link.

[0084] Clause 23. The child restraint of clause 5, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein retractor includes a spool, a first ratchet gear coupled to the spool, a second ratchet gear coupled to the spool and spaced apart from the first ratchet gear, and at least one biasing element configured to rotate the spool, the first ratchet gear, and the second ratchet gear to tighten the shoulder straps.

[0085] Clause 24. The child restraint of clause 23, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the first ratchet gear has teeth oriented to block rotation of the retractor in a first direction and the second ratchet gear has teeth oriented to block rotation of the retractor in a second direction opposite the first direction.

[0086] Clause 25. The child restraint of clause 24, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor release actuator is configured to disengage from the first ratchet gear to free the retractor for movement in first direction to tighten the shoulder straps and the retractor actuator is configured to disengage from the second ratchet gear to free the shoulder straps for movement in a loosening direction 23 while the retractor is engaged with the first ratchet gear to block movement of the shoulder straps in the tightening direction.

[0087] Clause 26. The child restraint of clause 5, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor includes a spool, a ratchet gear coupled to the spool, a first lock lever configured to engage the ratchet gear when the retractor actuator is in the locked position to block movement of the shoulder straps in the tightening direction, a second lock lever configured to engage the ratchet gear when the retractor actuator is in a second locked position to block movement of the spool in a loosening direction, and a biasing element configured to bias the spool and the ratchet gear for movement about a horizontal axis to wind at least one of the shoulder straps in the tightening direction when the retractor actuator is in the unlocked position in which both lock levers are disengaged from the ratchet gear.20341-432935-22-

[0088] Clause 27. A method of adjusting straps of a child restraint, comprising the steps of: providing a child restraint having a juvenile vehicle seat formed to include a child-receiving space and including a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom, the seat back including a backrest and a headrest coupled to the backrest and formed to include a pair of strap slots.

[0089] Clause 28. The method of clause 27, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, the child restraint including a harness coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat and including a pair of shoulder straps routed through the pair of strap slots formed in the headrest and a crotch strap.

[0090] Clause 29. The method of clause 28, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, the child restraint including a strap-movement controller.

[0091] Clause 30. The method of clause 29, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including holding a child for transportation in a vehicle, via the child-receiving space.

[0092] Clause 31. The method of clause 30, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including selectively coupling the crotch strap with the pair of shoulder straps to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat within the childreceiving space.

[0093] Clause 32. The method of clause 31, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including controlling movement of the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile vehicle seat, via a retractor mounted to the headrest adjacent to the strap slots and coupled to the shoulder straps and a retractor release actuator.

[0094] Clause 33. The method of clause 32, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including moving the retractor release actuator from a locked position blocking movement of the retractor and the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile seat to an unlocked position to free the retractor to retract automatically the shoulder straps in a tightening direction through the strap slots to a predetermined tension around a child seated in the child receiving space.20341-432935-23-

[0095] Clause 34. The method of clause 33, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including retracting automatically the shoulder straps in the tightening direction through the strap slots to the predetermined tension around the child seated in the child receiving space.

[0096] Clause 35. The method of clause 34, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein retracting automatically the shoulder straps in the tightening direction through the strap slots includes retracting the shoulder straps in a direction perpendicular to the strap slots between the retractor and the strap slots.

[0097] Clause 36. The method of clause 34, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the retractor includes a spool mounted to the headrest for rotation about a horizontal axis, a motion-blocking gear coupled to the spool for rotation therewith, and at least one biasing element,

[0098] Clause 37. The method of clause 36, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, the method further includes engaging the motionblocking gear with the retractor actuator to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis.

[0099] Clause 38. The method of clause 37, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including biasing the spool and the motion-blocking gear, via the at least one biasing element, to rotate about the horizontal axis to wind at least one of the shoulder straps around the spool in the tightening direction.

[0100] Clause 39. The method of clause 34, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, wherein the headrest includes a headrest shell coupled to the backrest for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest, a headrest lock, and a headrest release actuator coupled to the headrest shell.

[0101] Clause 40. The method of clause 39, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, the method further includes: selectively engaging the headrest lock with the backrest to block movement of the headrest relative to the backrest.20341-432935-24-

[0102] Clause 41. The method of clause 40, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including moving the headrest lock, via the headrest release actuator, between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest relative to the backrest and an unlocked position.

[0103] Clause 42. The method of clause 41, any other suitable clause, or any suitable combination of clauses, including freeing the headrest for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest.

Claims

20341-432935-25-CLAIMS1. A child restraint comprising a juvenile vehicle seat formed to include a child-receiving space configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle and including a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom, the seat back including a backrest and a headrest coupled to the backrest and formed to include a pair of strap slots, a harness coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat and including a pair of shoulder straps routed through the pair of strap slots formed in the headrest and a crotch strap configured to couple selectively with the pair of shoulder straps to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat within the child-receiving space, and a strap-movement controller configured to control movement of the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile vehicle seat, the strap-movement controller including a retractor mounted to the headrest adjacent to the strap slots and coupled to the shoulder straps and a retractor release actuator configured to move from a locked position blocking movement of the retractor and the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile seat and an unlocked position to free the retractor to retract automatically the shoulder straps in a tightening direction through the strap slots to a predetermined tension around a child seated in the child receiving space.

2. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein the retractor includes a spool mounted to the headrest for rotation about a horizontal axis, a motion-blocking gear coupled to the spool for rotation therewith and configured to engage with the retractor actuator to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis, and at least one biasing element configured to bias the spool and the motion-blocking gear to rotate about the horizontal axis to wind at least one of the shoulder straps around the spool in the tightening direction.

3. The child restraint of claim 2, wherein the motion-blocking gear includes a plurality of projections extending in a radial direction outward from the horizontal axis and spaced circumferentially apart from one another about the horizontal20341-432935-26- axis to provide a plurality of spaces into which a portion of the retractor actuator is received in the locked position to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis.

4. The child restraint of claim 3, wherein each strap slot is defined at least partially by an upper slot edge and a lower slot edge and an uppermost end of the spool is located between the upper slot edge and the lower slot edge so that an exit point of each shoulder strap from the spool is located at a substantially same height as each corresponding strap slot.

5. The child restraint of claim 3, wherein the retractor release actuator includes an actuator slider coupled to the headrest and a rotation blocker coupled to the actuator slider and configured to engage with the motion-blocking gear in the locked position.

6. The child restraint of claim 5, wherein the retractor includes a first retractor configured to retract a first shoulder strap in the tightening direction and a second retractor spaced apart from the first retractor and configured to retract a second shoulder strap in the tightening direction, the first retractor including the spool, the motion-blocking gear, and the biasing element, and the second retractor including a second spool, a second motion-blocking gear, and a second biasing member, and wherein the rotation blocker is configured to engage both the motionblocking gear and the second motion-blocking gear in the locked position and disengage from the motion-blocking gear and the second motion-blocking gear in the unlocked position so that the first retractor and the second retractor retract automatically the first shoulder strap and the second shoulder strap in unison.

7. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein the headrest includes a headrest shell coupled to the backrest for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest, a headrest lock configured to engage selectively with the backrest to block movement of the headrest relative to the backrest, and a headrest release actuator coupled to the headrest shell and configured to move the headrest lock between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest relative to the backrest and an unlocked position freeing the headrest for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest.20341-432935-27-8. The child restraint of claim 7, wherein the retractor release actuator includes an actuator slider coupled to the headrest shell and a rotation blocker coupled to the actuator slider and configured to engage with the retractor in the locked position to block rotation of the retractor about a horizontal axis to tighten the shoulder straps in the tightening direction.

9. The child restraint of claim 8, wherein the headrest release actuator includes a headrest-actuator handle configured to be gripped and moved by a user to adjust a height of the headrest relative to the seat bottom, a headrest-handle extension coupled to the headrest-actuator handle for movement therewith, and a lock-movement controller coupled to the headrest-handle extension and configured to move the headrest lock from the locked position to the unlocked position to disengage the headrest lock from the backrest, and wherein the actuator slider includes a strap-actuator handle configured to be gripped and moved by the user to free the retractor to tighten the shoulder straps and a strap-handle extension extending between and interconnecting the strap-actuator handle and the rotation blocker, and wherein the headrest-actuator handle is located below an upper end of the headrest shell and the strap-actuator handle projects above the upper end of the headrest shell in proximity to the headrest-actuator handle.

10. The child restraint of claim 9, wherein the headrest-actuator handle is configured to be moved by the user relative to the headrest shell in a first direction to free the headrest for movement relative to the backrest and the strap-actuator handle is configured to be moved in a second direction, different than the first direction, to free the retractor for rotation about the horizontal axis so that the shoulder straps lengthen as the headrest is moved in an upward direction away from the seat bottom and tighten as the headrest is move in a downward direction toward the seat bottom.

11. The child restraint of claim 7, wherein the headrest release actuator is arranged alongside the retractor release actuator are movable relative to the headrest shell independently of one another.20341-432935-28-12. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein the backrest includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall extending between and interconnecting the first and second side walls, the rear wall is formed to include a first vertically-oriented slot aligned with a first strap slot included in the pair of strap slots and a second vertically-oriented slot spaced apart from first vertically-oriented slot and aligned with a second strap slot included in the pair of strap slots, and wherein the retractor includes a first retractor aligned with the first vertically- oriented slot and coupled to a first shoulder strap included in the pair of shoulder straps and a second retractor aligned with the second vertically-oriented slot and coupled to a second shoulder strap included in the pair of shoulder straps.

13. The child restraint of claim 12, wherein the headrest includes a headrest shell coupled to the backrest for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest, a headrest lock configured to engage selectively with the backrest to block movement of the headrest relative to the backrest, a headrest release actuator coupled to the headrest shell and configured to move the headrest lock between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest relative to the backrest and an unlocked position freeing the headrest for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest, and a headrest guide system mounted to the backrest and configured to guide the up-and- down movement of the headrest along the backrest, and wherein the first retractor and the second retractor are coupled with the headrest guide system.

14. The child restraint of claim 13, wherein backrest includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail the headrest guide system includes a first headrest mount coupled to the first guide rail, a second headrest mount coupled to the second guide rail, and a mount link extending between and interconnecting the first headrest mount and the second headrest mount, the first and second retractors being mounted to the mount link.

15. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein retractor includes a spool, a first ratchet gear coupled to the spool, a second ratchet gear coupled to the spool and20341-432935-29- spaced apart from the first ratchet gear, and at least one biasing element configured to rotate the spool, the first ratchet gear, and the second ratchet gear to tighten the shoulder straps, wherein the first ratchet gear has teeth oriented to block rotation of the retractor in a first direction and the second ratchet gear has teeth oriented to block rotation of the retractor in a second direction opposite the first direction, and wherein the retractor release actuator is configured to disengage from the first ratchet gear to free the retractor for movement in first direction to tighten the shoulder straps and the retractor actuator is configured to disengage from the second ratchet gear to free the shoulder straps for movement in a loosening direction 23 while the retractor is engaged with the first ratchet gear to block movement of the shoulder straps in the tightening direction.

16. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein the retractor includes a spool, a ratchet gear coupled to the spool, a first lock lever configured to engage the ratchet gear when the retractor actuator is in the locked position to block movement of the shoulder straps in the tightening direction, a second lock lever configured to engage the ratchet gear when the retractor actuator is in a second locked position to block movement of the spool in a loosening direction, and a biasing element configured to bias the spool and the ratchet gear for movement about a horizontal axis to wind at least one of the shoulder straps in the tightening direction when the retractor actuator is in the unlocked position in which both lock levers are disengaged from the ratchet gear.

17. A method of adjusting straps of a child restraint, comprising the steps of: providing a child restraint having: a juvenile vehicle seat formed to include a child-receiving space and including a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom, the seat back including a backrest and a headrest coupled to the backrest and formed to include a pair of strap slots;20341-432935-30- a harness coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat and including a pair of shoulder straps routed through the pair of strap slots formed in the headrest and a crotch strap; a strap-movement controller; holding a child for transportation in a vehicle, via the child-receiving space; selectively coupling the crotch strap with the pair of shoulder straps to secure the child to the juvenile vehicle seat within the child-receiving space; and controlling movement of the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile vehicle seat, via a retractor mounted to the headrest adjacent to the strap slots and coupled to the shoulder straps and a retractor release actuator; moving the retractor release actuator from a locked position blocking movement of the retractor and the shoulder straps relative to the juvenile seat to an unlocked position to free the retractor to retract automatically the shoulder straps in a tightening direction through the strap slots to a predetermined tension around a child seated in the child receiving space; and retracting automatically the shoulder straps in the tightening direction through the strap slots to the predetermined tension around the child seated in the child receiving space.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein retracting automatically the shoulder straps in the tightening direction through the strap slots includes retracting the shoulder straps in a direction perpendicular to the strap slots between the retractor and the strap slots.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the retractor includes a spool mounted to the headrest for rotation about a horizontal axis, a motion-blocking gear coupled to the spool for rotation therewith, and at least one biasing element, and the method further includes engaging the motion-blocking gear with the retractor actuator to block rotation of the spool about the horizontal axis; and20341-432935-31- biasing the spool and the motion-blocking gear, via the at least one biasing element, to rotate about the horizontal axis to wind at least one of the shoulder straps around the spool in the tightening direction.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the headrest includes a headrest shell coupled to the backrest for up-and-down movement relative to the backrest, a headrest lock, and a headrest release actuator coupled to the headrest shell, and the method further includes: selectively engaging the headrest lock with the backrest to block movement of the headrest relative to the backrest; moving the headrest lock, via the headrest release actuator, between a locked position blocking movement of the headrest relative to the backrest and an unlocked position; and freeing the headrest for movement upwardly or downwardly relative to the backrest.

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