초록 ▼

An infant car seat includes a base including a belt path along which a vehicle belt can be secured to the base, and a carrier to detachably couple to the base. The carrier is positionable in a first, reclined position and a second, upright position. The belt path is fixed in location on the base suc

An infant car seat includes a base including a belt path along which a vehicle belt can be secured to the base, and a carrier to detachably couple to the base. The carrier is positionable in a first, reclined position and a second, upright position. The belt path is fixed in location on the base such that the carrier can be positioned in either the first, reclined position or the second, upright position without adjustment of the vehicle belt relative to the base. This two-position infant carrier provides improved fit to child, The infant car seat also can include grips on the carrier of the infant car seat for improved carryability, grips on the base of the infant car seat for improved gripping of the vehicle seat and easier installation, and an adjustable height mechanism in the base for improved fit to vehicle seat.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An infant car seat, comprising: a base including a belt path along which a vehicle belt can be secured to the base, the base presenting an upwardly facing surface and the base defining an outer perimeter; a carrier connected to the base, the carrier presenting a downwardly fa

What is claimed is: 1. An infant car seat, comprising: a base including a belt path along which a vehicle belt can be secured to the base, the base presenting an upwardly facing surface and the base defining an outer perimeter; a carrier connected to the base, the carrier presenting a downwardly facing surface that faces the upwardly facing surface of the base, and the carrier defining an outer perimeter; and a latch mechanism disposed between the upwardly facing surface of the base and the downwardly facing surface of the carrier, the latch mechanism defining first and second mounting locations, such that in the first mounting location the carrier is positioned in a first reclined position, and in the second mounting location the carrier is positioned in a second upright position, wherein releasing the latch mechanism allows the carrier to move between the first and second positions and further allows the carrier to be removed from the base without disconnecting any additional attachments between the carrier and the base, and wherein the latch mechanism is disposed within the outer perimeters of the base and carrier when the carrier is connected to the base; wherein the belt path is fixed in location on the base such that the carrier can be positioned in either the first, reclined position or the second, upright position without adjustment of the vehicle belt relative to the base. 2. The infant car seat according to claim 1, wherein the latch mechanism further comprises first and second latch receivers carried by the base corresponding to the first and second positions, respectively, and the carrier includes a latch for releasable engagement with the first and second latch receivers to position the carrier in the first position and the second position, respectively. 3. The infant car seat according to claim 1, wherein the base includes a fixed base portion and a movable base portion, the movable base portion being movable between the first position and the second position to move the carrier between the first position and the second position. 4. The infant car seat according to claim 1, further comprising a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion extending upward from the seat bottom portion, and a release handle mounted to the seat back portion and coupled to the latch to move the latch from a closed, latched position to an open, unlatched position. 5. An infant car seat, comprising: a base, the base presenting an upwardly facing surface and an outer perimeter, the base including first and second latch receivers carried by the upwardly facing surface, the first and second latch receivers corresponding to a first latching position and a second latching position, respectively; and a carrier coupled to the base, the carrier presenting a downwardly facing surface and an outer perimeter, the carrier including a latch carried by the downwardly facing surface, such that the latch and latch receivers disposed within the outer perimeters of the base and carrier when the carrier is connected to the base, wherein releasing the latch from the first and second latch receivers allows the carrier to move between the first and second latching positions and further allows the carrier to be removed from the base without disconnecting any additional attachments between the carrier and the base, wherein the base includes a belt path along which a vehicle belt can be secured to the base, the belt path being fixed in location on the base such that the carrier can be moved between the first latching position and the second latching position without adjustment of the vehicle belt relative to the base. 6. The infant car seat according to claim 5, wherein the carrier is more reclined relative to the base in the first latching position than in the second latching position. 7. The infant car seat according to claim 5, wherein the infant car seat has a foremost point and a rearmost point relative to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle, and the distance between the foremost point and the rearmost point when the carrier is in the first latching position is equal to or less than the distance between the foremost point and the rearmost point when the carrier is in the second latching position. 8. The infant car seat according to claim 5, wherein, when the carrier is secured to the base, the carrier provides legroom measured along a horizontal plane from an upper rear edge of the carrier to a seat back of the vehicle seat, and the legroom is greater in the second latching position than in the first latching position. 9. The infant car seat according to claim 5, wherein the carrier includes a release handle coupled to the latch to move the latch from a closed, latched position to an open, unlatched position. 10. The infant car seat according to claim 9, wherein actuation of the release handle moves the latch linearly from the closed, latched position to the open, unlatched position. 11. The infant car seat according to claim 5, wherein the base includes a cover to cover one of the first and second latch receivers when not in use. 12. The infant car seat according to claim 4, wherein the first latch receiver comprises a first pair of bars located on opposite sides of an upper surface of the base, and the second latch receiver comprises a second pair of bars located on opposite sides of the upper surface of the base. 13. The infant car seat according to claim 12, wherein the latch comprises first and second latches on opposite sides of the carrier for releasable engagement with the first pair of bars and the second pair of bars, respectively, to position the carrier in the first latching position and in the second latching position, respectively. 14. The infant car seat according to claim 13, wherein the carrier includes a release handle coupled to the first and second latches to move the first and second latches from a closed, latched position to an open, unlatched position. 15. The infant car seat according to claim 14, wherein the release handle is slidably mounted to a lower surface of the carrier, and the release handle is coupled to the first and second latches by first and second connecting rods, respectively. 16. The infant car seat according to claim 15, wherein actuation of the release handle moves the first and second connecting rods and moves the first and second latches linearly from the closed, latched position to the open, unlatched position. 17. The infant car seat according to claim 12, wherein the carrier includes first and second covers movably mounted to opposite sides of the carrier to cover alternatively one of the first pair of bars and the second pair of bars, respectively, when not in use. 18. The infant car seat according to claim 5, further comprising a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion extending upward from the seat bottom portion, and a release handle mounted to the seat back portion and coupled to the latch to move the latch from a closed, latched position to an open, unlatched position. 19. The infant car seat according to claim 5, wherein the base defines an outer perimeter and the latch receivers are disposed within the outer perimeter of the base.