Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Device for mounting a child seat in a car and a child seat

Device for mounting a child seat in a car and a child seat description/claims

The present application claims priority of European patent application No. 07104250 filed on Mar. 15, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The invention concerns a device for mounting a child seat (1) in a car comprising a frame (8) with two frame tubes having at their ends attachment devices (2) for connecting the frame to car mounted brackets (48) and a slide (5) movable along the frame tubes, the slide having a support surface (20) for supporting the child seat and two or more hooks (11) of which at least one is movable for coupling the child seat on the slide characterized in that the support surface (20) can support a first circular flange (22) of the child seat (1) and the hooks (11) have a circular shape and/or are placed in a circle for gripping the first circular flange.

Such a device is known from EP 1344679.

The disadvantage of the known device is that the child seat cannot rotate when it is placed on the device so that the child must be placed on the child seat when this is in a position whereby the child is not facing the door of the car. This makes placing the child in the seat more complicated.

In order to overcome this disadvantage the device for mounting a child seat (1) in a car comprises a frame (8) with two frame tubes having at their ends attachment devices (2) for connecting the frame to car mounted brackets (48) and a slide (5) movable along the frame tubes, the slide having a support surface (20) for supporting the child seat and two or more hooks (11) of which at least one is movable for coupling the child seat on the slide characterized in that the support surface (20) can support a first circular flange (22) of the child seat (1) and the hooks (11) have a circular shape and/or are placed in a circle for gripping the first circular flange. In this way the child seat placed on the upper surface can rotate, thereby making it possible to turn the seat towards the side of the car for placing a child on the seat and after that rotating the child seat so that the child faces the front of the car. For taking the child out of the car the child seat can rotate back so that removing the child from the car is easy.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the device includes an upper surface (20) parallel to the frame tubes (8) and preferably immediately above their upper surface. In this way the mass of the child is as near as possible to the brackets in the car, so that in case of a collision the rotation of the child seat relative to the brackets is more limited so that the displacement of the child is as small as possible.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the device includes movable hooks (11) having a first position whereby the child seat (1) can be positioned on or removed from the support surface (20) and a second position whereby the hooks can hold the first circular flange (22) against the support surface, and a mechanism (9, 26, 32) for positioning the movable hooks in the first position and the second position. By moving the movable hooks for connecting the child seat to the device with a mechanism the operator actively connects the child seat to the device.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the device includes hooks (11) that can grip the first circular flange with their outside circumference. In this way during use the child seat is rotatable around the movable hooks. The child seat prevents in this way that clothing or hands can touch the movable hooks and interfere with their functioning.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the device includes three or more hooks (11). In this way the hooks can exert forces on the child seat in all directions, so that longitudinal forces and sideway forces on the child seat can be transferred towards the car, so that the child seat is held against forces that result from longitudinal or sideways directed collisions.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the movable hooks (11) can move in three or more radial directions. In this way the child seat is centred more easily on the upper surface.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the movable hooks (11) can slide along a linear guide (33) between the first position and the second position. In this way the hooks can be wider so that they grip a larger arc length of the flange and fewer hooks are required for proper gripping the child seat. This improves the ease of operation of the device.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the slide (5) has at the locations of the hooks (11) one or more second flange parts (21) so that in the second position the hooks grip both the first circular flange (22) and the second flange part. In this way there is when the movable hooks are in the second position a strong coupling between the child seat and the device.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the movable hooks (11) having spring means (52) for moving it to the first position and holding means (26, 34, 39) for holding it in the second position. This ensures that the movable hooks are always in a determined position and that in the second position the hooks are positioned in a stable way without the risk that the movable hooks inadvertently loosen the child seat.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a cam disc (26) rotatable around a first axis (27) and preferably placed in the centre (c) of the hooks (11) can move the movable hooks, the cam disc having cam surfaces, each of which presses against a side plane of the movable hook. In this way the moving of all the movable hooks towards the second position takes place in a single movement of the cam disc, which improves ease of use.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the cam surfaces are shaped such that the spring means (52) prevent rotation of the cam disc (26) when the movable hooks (11) are in the second position. In this way the cam disc is locked in a simple way in the second position.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the cam disc (26) is rotated by a handle (32) rotatable around a second axis and provided with means (29, 30) for coupling the rotation of the cam disc and the handle. In this way the handle can be located on the slide away from the movable hooks so that it can be used in all situations, also when the child seat is positioned on the device.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the slide (5) has a mounting position whereby it is located away from the attachment devices (2) and is provided with blocking means (17) for preventing the slide to move from the mounting position towards the attachment devices. This ensures that the slide can only be moved when the device is mounted in the car and the child seat is on the slide. This improves the safe use of the device as in this way the child seat is always placed on the device with the slide in the mounting position and away from the back of the seat. This is safer as in that position of the slide the child seat can be positioned and gripped by the movable hooks in a proper way so preventing errors in fastening the child seat.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the blocking means comprising pins (17) that can extend for each frame tube (8). This is a compact and simple way to block the movement of the slide.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, each pin (17) is connected to a first sensor (49) determining whether the attachment device (2) is connected to the car mounted anchorage (48). In this way the movement of the slide is blocked when the attachment devices are not connected to the car mounted brackets.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws