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Retractable cup holder assembly for child seat

Retractable cup holder assembly for child seat description/claims

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/948,531 filed on Jul. 9, 2007.

This invention relates generally to child restraint systems, and more particularly, to a child seat including a retractable cup holder assembly.

A child restraint system, commonly referred to as a child car seat, child safety seat or simply child seat, is used for transporting and safely restraining a child within a vehicle so as to minimize the risk of injury to the child in the event of an abrupt movement or a collision involving the vehicle. Safety is of utmost concern in the design of a child seat. Comfort, however, is also of significant importance. As a result, many of the same comfort features provided on vehicle seats for use by an adult are also available on a child seat. For example, child seats are now available with one or more cup holders for retaining a beverage container, such as a plastic or metal bottle, can or cup. While providing the same function as a cup holder for an adult seat, a cup holder on a child seat should not extend beyond the periphery of the child seat so as to create an obstruction or hazard while transporting, installing, moving, or removing the child seat. In particular, the cup holder should conform generally to the outer profile of the child seat when not in use. At the same time, the cup holder should be readily accessible and relatively simple to operate so that a child having limited dexterity can easily use the cup holder. This is especially true if the cup holder is configured to be movable between a closed position, referred to herein as <“retracted,” and an opened position, referred to herein as “extracted.”

Accordingly, it is recognized that a specific need exists for a child seat including a cup holder assembly for retaining a beverage container that addresses the aforementioned concerns. More particularly, there is a specific need for a child seat including a cup holder assembly that conforms generally to the outer profile of the child seat when not in use, and thereby does not create an obstruction or hazard when transporting, installing, moving or removing the child seat. A further need exists for a child seat including a cup holder assembly that is readily accessible and relatively simple to operate so that a child having limited dexterity can easily use the cup holder. A specific need exists for such a cup holder that is movable between a retracted (i.e. closed) position and an extracted (i.e. opened) position.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a child seat including a cup holder assembly that is movable between a retracted position and an extracted position. The cup holder assembly includes an inner cup holder bracket, a medial cup holder slide movably attached to the cup holder bracket, and an outer cup holder floor pivotally attached to the cup holder slide. The cup holder slide and the cup holder floor move along an arc relative to the cup holder bracket, and the cup holder floor rotates relative to the cup holder slide and the cup holder bracket. In a particular embodiment, the cup holder bracket has at least one opening formed therethrough defining a rail guide and the cup holder slide includes at least one corresponding rail for slidingly engaging the rail guide. The cup holder slide further includes a handle or grip operable for applying an outward force to cause the rail of the cup holder slide to move along the rail guide of the cup holder bracket. The cup holder slide further includes a lip that engages a corresponding ledge on the cup holder floor, the lip being operable to rotate the cup holder floor as the cup holder slide is moved from the retracted position to the extracted position. The cup holder floor rotates about pins received within holes formed in the cup holder slide until a projection on the cup holder floor engages a relief formed in the cup holder slide. To move the cup holder assembly back from the extracted position to the retracted position, the cup holder floor is first lifted and rotated out of the relief and then the cup holder slide and cup holder floor are caused to move relative to the cup holder bracket along the arc defined by the rail guide.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a child seat including a cup holder assembly that is movable between a retracted position and an extracted position. The cup holder assembly includes an inner cup holder bracket, a medial cup holder slide, and an outer cup holder floor. The cup holder bracket includes a body having at least one rail guide and a recess defining an outer profile. The cup holder slide includes a body having a recess defining an inner profile and at least one rail for slidingly engaging the rail guide. The inner profile of the body of the cup holder slide is contoured to generally conform to the outer profile defined by the recess of the body of the cup holder bracket. The cup holder floor includes a body having at least one pin pivotally received within a corresponding hole formed in the body of the cup holder slide. The cup holder slide has a lip extending radially inward from the body that engages a ledge extending radially outward from the body of the cup holder floor to rotate the cup holder floor. The cup holder slide has a relief formed therein and the cup holder floor has a projection for engaging the relief to retain the cup holder floor in the extracted position. In the retracted position, the outer profile of the cup holder assembly is contoured to generally conform to the outer profile of the child seat.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a cup holder assembly for a child seat. The cup holder assembly is movable relative to the child seat between a retracted position and an extracted position, and the cup holder assembly defines an outer profile that generally conforms to an outer profile of the child seat in the retracted position. In a particular embodiment, the cup holder assembly includes an inner cup holder bracket having at least one rail guide. The cup holder bracket defines an outer profile. The cup holder assembly further includes a medial cup holder slide having at least one rail slidingly engaging the rail guide of the cup holder bracket. The cup holder slide defines an inner profile that conforms generally to the outer profile of the cup holder bracket. The cup holder assembly further includes an outer cup holder floor that is pivotally attached to the cup holder slide.

A child seat including a retractable cup holder assembly according to the present invention is best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:

FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view showing a child seat including a cup holder assembly according to the present invention with the cup holder assembly shown in the retracted position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cup holder assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the cup holder assembly of FIG. 1 shown in the retracted position and removed from the child seat for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the cup holder assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the cup holder assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the cup holder assembly of FIG. 3;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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