IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0008695
(2011-01-18)
|
등록번호 |
US-8596718
(2013-12-03)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Gaudreau, Jr., Paul D.
- Pereira, Raul G.
- Desimone, Gaetano D.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
13 |
초록
A child restraint includes an adjustable base for installation on a vehicle seat and a detachable infant carrier associated with the adjustable base. The base is configured to be adjusted to tilt the infant carrier relative to the vehicle seat.
대표청구항
▼
1. A child restraint comprising an adjustable base including a tiltable carrier cradle configured to include a foot end and an opposite head end and adapted to set on a passenger seat in a vehicle in one of an untilted position characterized by a first angular orientation and a tilted position chara
1. A child restraint comprising an adjustable base including a tiltable carrier cradle configured to include a foot end and an opposite head end and adapted to set on a passenger seat in a vehicle in one of an untilted position characterized by a first angular orientation and a tilted position characterized by a second angular orientation different from the first angular orientation anda detachable infant carrier configured to mate temporarily with the tiltable carrier cradle, and wherein the adjustable base further includesa movable foot mounted for movement in a foot-receiving chamber formed in the foot end of the tiltable carrier cradle between a retracted storage position lying substantially in the foot-receiving chamber to establish the untilted position of the tiltable carrier cradle and an extended cradle-tilting position extending partly out of the foot-receiving chamber to raise the foot end of the tiltable carrier cradle above the passenger seat while the opposite head end of the tiltable carrier cradle remains engaged to an underlying portion of the passenger seat and change the angular orientation of the tiltable carrier cradle and the detachable infant carrier mated therewith relative to the underlying portion of the passenger seat to establish the tilted position of the tiltable carrier cradle, anda tilt controller coupled to the tiltable carrier cradle and to the movable foot and configured to provide tilt-control means for supporting the movable foot for outward and inward sliding movement along an axis and rotation about the axis to manage movement of the movable foot relative to the tiltable carrier cradle between the retracted storage position in the foot-receiving chamber formed in the tiltable carrier cradle, a withdrawn rotation-ready position outside of the foot-receiving chamber in which the movable foot is free to rotate about the axis relative to the tiltable carrier cradle between a first rotation position associated with the retracted storage position and a second rotation position different from the first rotation position and associated with the extended cradle-tilting position, and the extended cradle-tilting position extending partly out of the foot-receiving chamber so that the angular orientation of the tiltable carrier cradle relative to an underlying portion of the passenger seat is changed in response to movement of the movable foot between the retracted storage position and the extended cradle-tilting position. 2. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein the tilt-control means includes a motion-control guide post coupled to the tiltable carrier cradle and arranged to lie in a stationary position in the foot-receiving chamber and the movable foot is constrained to move up and down along and rotate about the motion-control guide post during movement of the movable foot relative to the tiltable carrier cradle between the retracted storage position, the withdrawn rotation-ready position, and the extended cradle-tilting position. 3. The child restraint of claim 2, wherein the tiltable carrier cradle includes a side wall defining a portion of a boundary of the foot-receiving chamber, the tilt-control means further includes a first foot support coupled to the side wall to lie in a stationary position in the foot-receiving chamber, the movable foot includes a shell formed to include an interior region and an external support-receiver channel sized to receive the first foot support therein and a support sleeve coupled to the shell and arranged to extend in the interior region of the shell to mate along the axis in sliding and rotating relation with the motion-control guide post, and the shell of the movable foot is arranged to engage the first foot support of the tiltable carrier cradle upon rotation of the movable foot about the axis relative to the side wall to assume the second rotation position and movement of the movable foot relative to the tiltable carrier cradle to assume the extended cradle-tilting position to block further movement of the movable foot into the foot-receiving chamber toward the retracted storage position and to disengage the first foot support upon rotation of the movable foot about the axis relative to the side wall through an angle of about 180° to assume the first rotation position to align the first foot support coupled to the side wall with the external support-receiver channel formed in the shell and free the first foot support to move in the external support-receiver channel and the movable foot to move along the axis from the extended cradle-tilting position further into the foot-receiving chamber to the retracted storage position. 4. The child restraint of claim 3, wherein the side wall of the tiltable carrier cradle includes an end panel and a first side panel coupled to the end panel to form a first corner of the side wall and the first foot support is a first outer foot support coupled to the first side panel and to the end panel to lie in the foot-receiving chamber at the first corner of the side wall, the shell of the movable foot includes a top panel coupled to the support sleeve and a skirt coupled to a perimeter edge of the top panel, the external support-receiver channel is a first outer external support receiver channel, and the skirt includes a first end wall, a second end wall, and a first concave section arranged to interconnect the first and second end walls and configured to form the outer external support-receiver channel. 5. The child restraint of claim 4, wherein the support sleeve is coupled to the top panel of the shell of the movable foot and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the skirt of the movable foot. 6. The child restraint of claim 4, wherein the tilt-control means further includes a first inner foot support coupled to the first side panel and arranged to lie in the foot-receiving chamber in spaced-apart relation to the first outer foot support and the shell of the movable foot is also arranged to engage the first inner foot support along with the first outer foot support to establish the extended cradle-tilting position of the movable foot during movement of the movable foot along the axis from the withdrawn rotation-ready position toward the extended cradle-tilting position while the movable foot remains in the second rotation position, the first end wall of the skirt is also formed to include an inner external support-receiver channel arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the outer external support-receiver channel, and the first inner foot support is free to move in the inner external support-receiver channel while the first outer foot support moves in the outer external support-receiver channel during movement of the movable foot along the axis from the extended cradle-tilting position further into the foot-receiving chamber to the retracted storage position while the movable foot remains in the first rotation position. 7. The child restraint of claim 4, wherein the tilt-control means further includes a first releasable foot retainer comprising a first lock tab coupled to the first end wall of the skirt and first and second tab blockers coupled to an inner surface of the first side panel of the tiltable carrier cradle and arranged to lie in the foot-receiving chamber, the first lock tab is arranged to mate with the first tab blocker when the movable foot is moved to assume the retracted storage position to retain the movable foot temporarily in the retracted storage position, and the first lock tab is also arranged to mate with the second tab blocker when the movable foot is moved to assume the extended cradle-tilting position to retain the movable foot temporarily in the extended cradle-tilting position. 8. The child restraint of claim 4, wherein the first end wall of skirt of movable foot includes a distal edge and a first mount flange arranged to lie between the distal edge and the top panel and the first end wall includes a pair of opposing strips that are arranged to lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to one another and converge toward one another so that the strips are closer to one another at the first mount flange and cooperate to form an outwardly opening cavity in a space provided between the first mount flange and the top panel to facilitate molding of the movable foot using a plastics material. 9. The child restraint of claim 3, wherein the first foot support is a first inner foot support, the tilt-control means further includes a second inner foot support coupled to the side wall to lie in a stationary position in the foot-receiving chamber, the shell is arranged to engage the first and second inner foot supports during movement of the movable foot along the axis from the withdrawn rotation-ready position toward the extendable cradle-tilting position while the movable foot remains in the second rotation position, the shell of the movable foot includes a top wall coupled to the support sleeve and a skirt coupled to a perimeter edge of the top wall and arranged to cooperate with the top wall to form the interior region of the shell, the external support-receiver channel is a first inner external support-receiver channel, the skirt is formed to include the first inner external support receiver channel and also a second inner external support-receiver channel, and the second inner foot support is free to move in the second inner external support-receiver channel while the first inner foot support moves in the first inner external support-receiver channel during movement of the movable foot along the axis from the extended cradle-tilting position further into the foot-receiving chamber to the retracted storage position while the movable foot remains in the first rotation position. 10. The child restraint of claim 9, wherein the side wall of the tiltable carrier cradle includes a first side panel, a second side panel arranged to lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the first side panel to locate the motion-control guide post therebetween, and an end panel arranged to interconnect the first and second side panels and cooperate with the first side panel to form a first corner of the side wall, the tilt-control means further includes a first outer foot support coupled to the first side panel and to the end panel to lie in the foot-receiving chamber at the first corner of the side wall, the skirt of the shell includes a first end wall formed to include the first inner external support-receiver channel, a third end wall arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first end wall to locate the support sleeve therebetween and formed to include the second external support-receiver channel, a second end wall arranged to cooperate with the first and third end walls to form a boundary portion of the interior region of the shell, and a first concave section arranged to interconnect the first and second end walls and configured to form an outer external support-receiver channel providing means for allowing free movement of the first outer foot support therein during movement of the first inner foot support in the first inner external support-receiver channel and the second inner foot support in the second inner external support-receiver channel while the movable foot remains in the first rotation position and moves from the extended cradle-tilting position to the retracted storage position. 11. The child restraint of claim 2, wherein the movable foot includes a shell mounted for movement relative to the tiltable carrier cradle and formed to include an interior region communicating with the foot-receiving chamber and a support sleeve coupled to the shell and arranged to lie in the interior region of the shell and the motion-control guide post is arranged to extend into a central passageway formed in the support sleeve to support the support sleeve on the motion-control guide post for sliding movement along and rotating movement about the axis during movement of the movable foot relative to the tiltable carrier cradle. 12. The child restraint of claim 11, wherein the tilt-control means further includes an annular lip coupled to motion-control guide post and a foot anchor located in the central passageway formed in the support sleeve and configured to provide means for mating with the annular lip coupled to the motion-control guide post to block separation of the movable foot without inhibiting sliding movement of the movable foot along the axis from the retracted storage position to the withdrawn rotation-ready position and without inhibiting rotational movement of the movable foot about the axis from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. 13. The child restraint of claim 10, wherein the movable foot further includes an annular lip coupled to a free end of the support sleeve and the foot anchor is arranged to lie in the central passageway and in spaced-apart relation to the annular lip coupled to the motion-control guide post when the movable foot is moved to assume the retracted storage position and the foot anchor is arranged to lie in the central passageway and engage the annular lip coupled to the support sleeve upon movement of the movable foot out of the foot-receiving chamber to establish the withdrawn rotation-ready position of the movable foot outside the foot-receiving chamber without inhibiting rotation of the movable foot about the axis from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. 14. The child restraint of claim 1, wherein the tilt-control means further includes a first releasable foot retainer comprising a first lock tab coupled to the movable foot and first and second tab blockers coupled to an inner surface of the tiltable carrier cradle and arranged to lie in the foot-receiving chamber, the first lock tab is arranged to mate with the first tab blocker when the movable foot is moved to assume the retracted storage position to retain the movable foot temporarily in the retracted storage position, and the first lock tab is also arranged to mate with the second tab blocker when the movable foot is moved to assume the extended cradle-tilting position to retain the movable foot temporarily in the extended cradle-tilting position. 15. The child restraint of claim 14, wherein the first lock tab includes a tongue that is cantilevered to the movable foot at a proximal portion thereof to move about a transverse pivot axis relative to the movable foot between a tab blocker-engaging position engaging one of the first and second tab blockers and a tab blocker-disengaging position disengaging the one of the first and second tab blockers and the first lock tab also includes a lug coupled to a free end of the tongue and arranged to mate in sequence with the first and second tab blockers during movement of the movable foot along the axis relative to the tiltable carrier cradle. 16. The child restraint of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second tab blockers of the first releasable foot retainer includes an upwardly facing ramp and a downwardly facing stop, the lug of the first lock tab engages the upwardly facing ramps in camming relation to cause the tongue to move about the transverse pivot axis during movement of the movable foot into foot-receiving chamber, the lug is arranged to engage the downwardly facing stop of the first tab blocker to block outward movement of the movable foot out of the foot-receiving chamber until enough withdrawal force is applied to the movable foot to move the tongue to cause the lug to disengage the downwardly facing stop, the lug is arranged to engage the downwardly facing stop of the second tab blocker to block outward movement of movable foot out of the foot-receiving chamber toward the withdrawn rotation-ready position until enough withdrawal force is applied to the movable foot to move the tongue to cause the lug to disengage the downwardly facing stop. 17. A child restraint comprises a base for installation on a vehicle seat and an infant carrier associated with the base, wherein the base is configured to be adjusted to tilt the infant carrier relative to the vehicle seat, the infant carrier is detachable from the base, the base includes a tiltable carrier cradle configured to mate with the infant carrier, a movable foot mounted for movement relative to the tiltable carrier cradle, and a tilt controller coupled to the tiltable carrier cradle and to the movable foot, the tilt controller is configured to provide means for controlling tilt of the tiltable carrier cradle relative to an underlying surface by managing movement of the movable foot between a retracted storage position in a foot-receiving chamber formed in the tiltable carrier cradle, a withdrawn rotation-ready position outside of the foot-receiving chamber, and an extended cradle-tilting position extending partly out of the foot-receiving chamber, and the movable foot is mounted for sliding and rotating movement along and about an axis into and out of the foot-receiving chamber to assume a first rotation position associated with the retracted storage position and a second rotation position rotated about 180° from the first rotation position and associated with the extended cradle-tilting position. 18. The child restraint of claim 17, wherein the tilt controller includes an upright motion-control guide post coupled to the tiltable carrier cradle and arranged to lie in a stationary position in the foot-receiving chamber, the motion-control guide post is arranged to extend into a central passageway formed in a support sleeve included in the movable foot, the movable foot is constrained to move up and down along and rotate about the motion-control guide post during movement of the movable foot relative to the tiltable carrier cradle between the retracted storage position and the extended cradle-tilting position. 19. The child restraint of claim 18, wherein the tilt controller also includes several foot supports included in the tiltable carrier cradle and arranged to lie in the foot-receiving chamber formed in the tiltable carrier cradle and to provide foundational support for the movable foot when movable foot is moved to assume the extended cradle-tilting position. 20. The child restraint of claim 19, wherein the foot supports comprise spaced-apart first and second outer foot supports and first and second inner foot supports, each of the spaced-apart first and second outer foot supports and the spaced-apart first and second inner foot supports are arranged to extend inwardly into the foot-receiving chamber in directions generally toward the motion-control guide post that is located generally in the center of the foot-receiving chamber, the outer foot supports are located in stationary positions in outer corners of the foot-receiving chamber, and the inner foot supports are located in stationary positions along opposite side walls forming boundaries of the foot-receiving chamber. 21. The child restraint of claim 20, wherein the movable foot is engaged and supported on each of the foot supports when the movable foot is moved outwardly in the foot-receiving chamber in an outward direction to tiltable carrier cradle to assume the extended cradle-tilting position, the movable foot is disengaged from each of the foot supports when the movable foot is moved inwardly in foot-receiving chamber in an opposite inward direction relative to the tiltable carrier cradle to assume the retracted storage position because those foot supports owing to a 180° rotation of movable foot about the axis of rotation, will have moved in and now lie in companion external support-channels formed in the movable foot. 22. The child restraint of claim 18, wherein the motion-control guide post is configured to provide means for supporting the movable foot for axial motion along an axis relative to the tiltable carrier cradle between: (1) the retracted storage position; (2) a withdrawn rotation-ready position arranged to lie outside of the foot-receiving chamber so that the movable foot can be rotated about the axis between a first rotation position and a second rotation position; and (3) the extended cradle-tilting position, and the axis extends axially through a central passageway formed in the support sleeve of the movable foot. 23. The child restraint of claim 22, wherein the motion-control guide post is also configured to provide means for supporting the movable foot for rotation about an axis through an angle of about 180° between a first rotation position associated with retention of the movable foot in the retracted storage position in the foot-receiving chamber and a second rotation position associated with retention of the movable foot in the extended cradle-tilting position extending partly out of the foot-receiving chamber to allow manual rotation of movable foot on the motion-control guide post and about the axis between the first and second rotation positions to take place after the movable foot has been moved axially outwardly along the axis to the withdrawn rotation-ready position located wholly outside of the foot-receiving chamber formed in the tiltable carrier cradle. 24. The child restraint of claim 18, wherein the movable foot includes a top panel and a skirt appended to a perimeter edge of top panel, the top panel and skirt cooperate to form a shell having an interior region, and the support sleeve that is included in the movable foot is aligned with a central opening formed in the top panel and appended to an underside of the top panel to lie in a stationary position relative to the top panel and to mate in telescoping relation with the motion-control guide post of the tilt controller. 25. The child restraint of claim 24, wherein the top panel of movable foot is also formed to include an oblong finger-receiving slot that is sized and shaped to provide means to grip a topside and underside of the top panel when the movable foot occupies each of the retracted storage and extended cradle-tilting positions so that the movable foot can be moved easily along and about the axis to change the rotational orientation and position of movable foot along the axis and relative to the tiltable cradle carrier.
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