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A plurality of lock tracks on a carrier of a car seat, a slider that co-pivots with a handle of the carrier, and an actuator on the handle and moveable between lock and release positions. Each of the lock tracks defines a respective handle position. The slider is slideable between lock and release p

A plurality of lock tracks on a carrier of a car seat, a slider that co-pivots with a handle of the carrier, and an actuator on the handle and moveable between lock and release positions. Each of the lock tracks defines a respective handle position. The slider is slideable between lock and release positions, and is spring-biased toward the lock position. In the slider lock position, the slider engages one of the lock tracks to secure the co-pivoting handle in the respective handle position. And in the slider release position, the slider does not engage any of the lock tracks to permit the co-pivoting handle to pivot between the handle positions. The actuator is biased toward the lock position by the spring-biased slider, and actuating the actuator from its lock position to its release position moves the slider from its lock position to its release position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A child transport carrier having a pivotal carrying handle with a lock-release mechanism comprising: a plurality of lock tracks on the carrier, wherein the lock tracks define a plurality of handle positions;a slider that pivots with the handle and is slideable between a lock position and a releas

1. A child transport carrier having a pivotal carrying handle with a lock-release mechanism comprising: a plurality of lock tracks on the carrier, wherein the lock tracks define a plurality of handle positions;a slider that pivots with the handle and is slideable between a lock position and a release position, wherein in the lock position the slider engages one of the lock tracks to secure the handle in the respective handle position, in the release position the slider does not engage any of the lock tracks to permit the handle to pivot between the handle positions, and the slider is spring-biased toward the lock position;an actuator mounted to the handle and moveable between a lock position and a release position, wherein the actuator is spring-biased toward the lock position, and actuating the actuator from the lock position to the release position moves the slider from the lock position to the release position;wherein the handle includes a guide track and the slider includes a head and tail extending from the head, the slider tail is slidingly engageable by each of the carrier lock tracks to permit the slider to slide between the slider lock and release positions, the slider head extends axially from the tail and is positioned laterally spaced from the lock tracks, and the slider head is engaged by the handle guide track to pivot the slider with the handle but to permit the slider to slide between the slider lock and release positions; anda shaft pivotally mounting the handle to the carrier and a spring that provides the spring-biasing of the slider toward the slider lock position, wherein the slider further comprises a body that is positioned between the head and the tail, is engageable by the actuator, is not engageable by the carrier lock tracks or the handle guide track, defines a recess that receives the spring with the spring positioned between the shaft and the slider, and is generally U-shaped with two arms extending on opposite sides of the pivot shaft to define an interposed guide slot in which the pivot shaft is received and the spring is retained, and wherein the actuator is spring-biased toward the lock position by the spring-biased slider. 2. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the carrier lock tracks are radially extending and the slider slides radially along the lock tracks. 3. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 2, wherein the release position of the slider is radially inward relative to the lock position of the slider. 4. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 2, wherein the carrier lock tracks are provided by channels that are formed in the carrier and that slidingly receive the slider in the slider lock position to prevent pivoting of the slider, and thus the handle, relative to the carrier and that do not receive the slider in the slider release position to permit pivoting of the slider, and thus the handle, relative to the carrier. 5. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the handle includes a guide track that engages the slider to pivot the slider with the handle but to permit the slider to slide between the slider lock and release positions. 6. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 5, wherein the handle guide track is provided by a radially extending channel that is formed in the handle and that slidingly receives the slider to guide the slider between the slider lock and release positions and that pivotally retains the slider to cause the slider to pivot with the handle. 7. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a shaft that pivotally mounts the handle to the carrier and a curved space that is defined by the carrier, positioned radially outward of and coaxial with the pivot shaft, and positioned radially inward of and in communication with the carrier lock tracks so that the slider is free to pivot through the curved space and between alignment with each of the lock tracks when the slider is in the release position. 8. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 7, wherein first and last lock tracks of the plurality of lock tracks define respective stop surfaces positioned at opposing ends of the curved space and contacted by the slider in the slider release position when the handle is pivoted to limit the pivoting travel range of the handle. 9. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein each one of the lock tracks defines a respective discretely indexed one of the handle positions. 10. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the pivotal arm is pivotally mounted to the handle and is depressed toward the handle from the actuator lock position to the actuator release position to move the slider from the slider lock position to the slider release position. 11. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 10, wherein the actuating portion extends out of the handle and is exposed for depressing by a user, and the lever portion contacts the slider, and wherein the pivotal arm is positioned laterally spaced from the lock tracks, the pivotal arm and the slider are movable in the same plane, and the slider is engageable by the pivotal arm free of interference with the carrier lock tracks. 12. The child transport carrier with lock-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of handle positions defined by the plurality of lock tracks comprises a first upright carry position for carrying the carrier, a second partially lowered access position for allowing access to an interior of the carrier, and a third lowered support position for propping the carrier on a support surface to prevent rocking. 13. A car seat for mounting in a vehicle and securing a child, the car seat comprising: a carrier to which the child can be secured;a pivotal carrying handle extending from the carrier and repositionable in a plurality of discretely indexed handle positions; anda handle lock-release mechanism, comprising:a plurality of radially extending lock tracks on the carrier, wherein each of the lock tracks defines a respective one of the handle positions,a radially extending guide track on the handle,a slider that includes a head and tail extending from the head, wherein the slider tail is engageable by and slideable radially along each of the carrier lock tracks between a lock position and a release position, in the lock position the slider tail engages one of the lock tracks to secure the handle in the respective handle position, in the release position the slider tail does not engage any of the lock tracks to permit the slider to pivot between alignment with the lock tracks as the handle is pivoted between the handle positions, wherein the slider head is engaged by the guide track to cause the slider to pivot with the handle but to permit the slider to slide radially along the guide track between the slider lock and release positions, wherein the slider is spring-biased toward the lock position, the release position of the slider is radially inwardly positioned relative to the lock position of the slider, and the slider head extends axially from the tail and is positioned laterally spaced from the lock tracks;an actuator moveable between a lock position and a release position, wherein the spring-biased slider engages and biases the actuator toward the lock position, and actuating the actuator from the lock position to the release position moves the slider from the lock position to the release position; anda shaft pivotally mounting the handle to the carrier and a spring that provides the spring-biasing of the slider toward the slider lock position, wherein the slider further comprises a body that is positioned between the head and the tail, is engageable by the actuator, is not engageable by the carrier lock tracks or the handle guide track, defines a recess that receives the spring with the spring positioned between the shaft and the slider, and is generally U-shaped with two arms extending on opposite sides of the pivot shaft to define an interposed guide slot in which the pivot shaft is received and the spring is retained. 14. The car seat of claim 13, wherein the lock tracks are provided by channels that are formed in the carrier and that slidingly receive the slider tail in the slider lock position to prevent pivoting of the slider, and thus the handle, relative to the carrier and that do not receive the slider tail in the slider release position to permit pivoting of the slider, and thus the handle, relative to the carrier. 15. The car seat of claim 13, further comprising a shaft that pivotally mounts the handle to the carrier and a curved space that is defined by the carrier, positioned radially outward of and coaxial with the pivot shaft, and positioned radially inward of and in communication with the carrier lock tracks so that the slider tail is free to pivot through the curved space and between alignment with each of the lock tracks when the slider is in the release position. 16. The car seat of claim 15, wherein first and last lock tracks of the plurality of lock tracks define respective stop surfaces positioned at opposing ends of the curved space and contacted by the slider tail in the slider release position when the handle is pivoted to limit the pivoting travel range of the handle. 17. The car seat of claim 13, wherein the actuator is pivotally mounted to the handle and is depressed toward the handle to move the actuator from the actuator lock position to the actuator release position, the actuating portion extending out of the handle and being exposed for depressing by a user, the lever portion contacting the slider, the pivotal arm being positioned laterally spaced from the lock tracks, the pivotal arm and the slider being movable in the same plane, and the slider being engageable by the pivotal arm free of interference with the lock tracks.