GB2277018A

GB2277018A - Child safety arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2277018A
Application number: GB9307899A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lennart Eksell; Lars-Erik Bratt; Leif Andersson
Original assignee: Volvo AB; Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Volvo AB; Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 1993-04-16
Filing date: 1993-04-16
Publication date: 1994-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 2013-04-16
Also published as: FR2703960A1; DE4413535A1; GB9307899D0; FR2703960B1; GB2277018B

Description

2277018

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

A Child Safety Arrangement.

THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a child saf ety arrangement and more particularly relates to an arrangement by which a saf ety device f or a child, such as a seat, a booster cushion or a carry-cot may be mounted in position in a motor vehicle.

Various safety devices are used for children in motor vehicles. one such device is a child safety seat which is a specially formed seat provided with a safety harness, dimensioned to accommodate a young child. Such a seat must, of course, be mounted securely in position in the motor vehicle and many different techniques are currently utilised in order to secure such a seat in position.

It is not uncommon for such a child safety seat to be mounted in a rearward facing orientation upon the squab of an adult seat in a motor vehicle and one particular arrangement which has been proposed for the mounting of a seat in this position is shown in EP-A-0 537 019.

This European specification shows an arrangement where a child safety seat is connected to three anchoring points in a vehicle by way of anchoring means provided on the safety seat. One anchoring point is positioned just in front of the adult seat adjacent the floor of the vehicle and is used as the point of connection for anchoring means provided at the rear of the child safety seat, whilst two further anchoring points are disposed on the adult seat at the junction between the squab and the back of the seat.

1 2 In this earlier arrangement, the anchoring means which are intended to be connected with the two anchoring points located between the back and the squab of the adult seat comprise rigid, cranked projections on the front of the child safety seat which may be introduced into apertures defined by respective elements connected to each anchoring point by initially tilting the child safety seat towards the rear of the vehicle and then tilting the safety seat back towards the f ront of the vehicle so that it rests upon the squab of the adult seat.

Whilst this particular arrangement has the advantage that the anchoring means may be connected to the anchoring points by simply holding and manoeuvring the child saf ety seat, the connection with each anchoring point is relatively basic and does not incorporate a movable locking element, the sound or f eel of which provides an indication that a secure connection has been established with the anchoring point. There is therefore a risk that a person mounting the child saf ety seat in position may correctly insert one of the anchoring means into the component connected to the anchoring point whilst the other anchoring means remains unconnected. In addition the way in which the child seat needs to be manipulated in order to create a secure connection with each of the anchoring points makes the connection and release of the child safety seat rather awkward and it might also be difficult to clearly see the anchoring points and to tell when a secure connection has been established.

It has also been proposed to connect a child safety seat to anchoring points associated with an adult seat in a motor vehicle by using more conventional buckle and tongue connections with the buckle and tongue being connected to the adult seat and the child safety seat by way of straps. However, in order to connect the tongue and buckle it is necessary to hold the buckle in one hand and the tongue in the order which means, of course, that a person installing the child safety seat does not have a hand free in order to hold the seat itself.

The present invention seeks to provide an arrangement for the mounting of a child safety device in a motor vehicle which address the problems outlined above.

According to this invention there is provided a combination of an adult seat in a motor vehicle and a child safety device designed for mounting upon the adult seat, the child safety device being releasably connectable to at least one anchoring point associated with the seat, the child safety device and the anchoring point each being provided with one of first and second cooperating members which are inter-engageable to form a releasable connection, the cooperating members being mounted on the child safety device and the anchoring point so as normally to be held in a predetermined orientation which permits inter-engagement of the cooperating members by appropriate movement of the child safety device relative to the adult seat, the first cooperating member comprising a housing adapted to receive the second cooperating member and further comprising a locking element moveable relative to the housing between a locking position in which the locking element engages the second cooperating member and retains the second cooperating member in the housing and a release position.

Preferably the locking element automatically adopts the locking position when the second cooperating member is inserted into the housing of the first cooperating member.

Conveniently the first and second cooperating members are inter-engaged by moving the child saf ety device linearly with respect to the adult seat.

Advantageously the adult seat comprises a back and a squab and the cooperating member which is mounted on the anchoring point associated with the adult seat is located between the back and the squab of the adult seat.

Preferably at least part of the first cooperating member is pivotally mounted on either the anchoring point associated with the adult seat or the child safety device and the second cooperating member is rigidly mounted on the other of the anchoring point associated with the adult seat and the child safety device, pivotal movement of the first cooperating member in a first direction from said predetermined orientation causing the locking element to adopt the release position.

In one arrangement the housing of the first cooperating member is pivotally mounted and the locking element of the f irst cooperating member is rigidly mounted.

In one alternative arrangement both the housing and the locking element of the f irst cooperating member are pivotally mounted.

In either arrangement, conveniently the housing of the f irst cooperating member is pivotable through a greater angle in said first direction from said predetermined orientation than the locking element of the first cooperating member, pivotal movement of the housing in said first direction beyond the position of the locking element causes the locking element to adopt the release position.

Advantageously when the first cooperating member is pivotally connected to the anchoring point associated with the adult seat and the second cooperating member is rigidly mounted on the child safety device, the locking element of the f irst cooperating member is caused to adopt the release position by tilting the child seat in said first direction when the first and second cooperating members are inter-engaged.

Preferably the locking element of the first cooperating member is pivotable in a second direction from said predetermined orientation opposite to said first direction, movement of the locking element in this second direction being limited by the engagement of the locking element with an abutment.

Conveniently the housing of the first cooperating member is also pivotable in the second direction through the same angle from said predetermined position as the locking element, pivotal movement of the housing and the locking element in said second direction until the locking element engages said abutment causing the locking element to be blocked in the locking position.

The f irst cooperating member may be mounted upon the child safety device. In this case the locking element of the first cooperating member may be movable to the release position by the actuation of a push button or lever associated with the first cooperating member. The push button or lever may serve to move a plurality of locking elements to the release position in a plurality of f irst cooperating members used to connect the child saf ety device to a plurality of anchoring points.

Alternatively the first cooperating member may be mounted upon an anchoring point associated with the adult seat.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partly-sectioned side elevation of a child safety seat mounted upon an adult seat in a motor vehicle; FIGURE 2 is a rear view showing part of a f rame connected to the child safety seat illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings; FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation showing the junction between the squab and the back of the adult seat from the opposite side to the view of Figure 1 and also showing anchoring means for connecting the child safety seat to an anchoring point in the adult seat; FIGURE 4 corresponds to Figure 3 but shows the anchoring means engaged with the anchoring point in the adult seat at the instant of connection; FIGURE 5 also corresponds to Figure 3 and shows the condition of the anchoring arrangement when the child safety seat is in use; and FIGURE 6 again corresponds to Figure 3 and shows the anchoring arrangement at the instant of release of the anchoring means from the anchoring point.

- 7 Referring initially to Figure 1 of the drawings, a conventional adult seat 1 is shown which comprises a squab 2 and a back 3. The adult seat 1 is mounted in a motor vehicle in a conventional manner.

A child safety seat 4 is illustrated mounted upon the adult seat 1. The child safety seat 4 comprises a shell 5 designed to accommodate a child and will include a harness so that the child may be securely strapped into the safety seat. In addition the child safety seat 4 comprises a substantially rigid frame 6 which is connected to the shell 5. The child safety seat 4 is mounted in the vehicle upon the adult seat 1 by way of connections between parts of the frame 6 and anchoring points provided in the vehicle.

As can best be seen from Figure 2 of the drawings the frame 6 has a rear portion 7 comprising a horizontally extending upper section 8 which extends across the back of the shell 5 of the safety seat 4, the opposite ends of the horizontal section 8 then extending downwardly as a pair of legs 9, each of which carries a buckle 10 at its f ree, lower end. The buckles 10 are designed to connect with anchoring points 11 located on the f loor of the vehicle slightly in front of the adult seat 1. The anchoring points 11 comprise tongues 12 designed to be releasably locked in the buckles 10.

The frame 6 of the child saf ety seat 4 also has side portions 13 which extend f rom the upper, horizontal section 8 of the rear portion downwardly towards the f ront, lower edge of the shell 5 before projecting forwardly of the child safety seat. It will, of course, be appreciated that a side portion 13 of the frame is provided on either side of the shell 5 of the safety seat. The f orwardly projecting portion 14 may comprise either a single projection which extends forwardly from a central region of a horizontally extending part of the frame 6 which interconnects the lower ends of the side portions 13 or, alternatively, a pair of forwardly extending projections 14 provided at positions adjacent either side of the front, lower edge of the shell 5. In any event, the or each projection 14 terminates with a tongue 15 which is intended to be connected to an anchoring point 16 located in the adult seat 1 in the junction between the squab 2 and the back 3 of the seat. The anchoring point 16 comprises a buckle within which the tongue 15 is designed to be releasably locked.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings it can be seen that the two buckles 10 are associated with a common control lever 17 which is connected to the upper section of the rear portion of the frame 6.

The control lever 17 is in the form of a elongate handle which is pivotally mounted so as to be movable between a locking position (illustrated in dashed lines in Figure 2 of the drawings) and a release position (shown in solid lines), these positions corresponding to the locking and release of the tongues 12 in the buckles 10. The lever 17 is connected to components of each buckle 10 by way of wires, cables or the like 18 and can be used to control release of the buckles 10 and tongues 12.

It is, however, the connection of the tongue 15 in the buckle 16 which is located between the squab 2 and the back 3 of the adult seat 1 which can cause difficulty and Figures 3 to 6 illustrate one particular design for the arrangement of the tongue 15 and buckle 16 which is intended to address the existing problems.

The tongue 15 is of a fairly conventional design, comprising a substantially planar component defining an aperture 19. The tongue 15 is rigidly connected to the f rame 6 or some other part of the child saf ety seat 4 so that it projects forward from the front of the child safety seat at a predetermined position and orientation.

The buckle 16 comprises a housing having an upper plate 20 and a lower plate 21 between which there is defined a channel 22 for receiving the locking tongue 15. The buckle also comprises a locking element 23 having a locking tooth 24 which passes through an aperture 25 in the lower plate 21 so as to extend into the channel 22. The locking tooth 24 is designed to extend into the aperture 19 in the locking tongue when the tongue is fully inserted into the channel 22 in the buckle 16 and thereby retain the tongue within the buckle.

The buckle housing comprising the plates 20, 21 and the locking element 23 are each mounted upon a portion 26 of the frame of the adult seat 1 for independent pivotal movement about a common axis 27.

The upper surf ace of the upper plate 21 of the buckle housing is acted upon, from above, by a leaf spring 28 which serves to bias the buckle housing in a downwards direction to a neutral or equilibrium position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This neutral or equilibrium position is shown by a chain dotted line in Figures 3 to 6. The locking element 23 is acted upon, from beneath, by a compression spring 29 which acts to bias the locking element upwardly to the neutral or equilibrium position, so that the locking tooth 24 is normally urged through the aperture 25 in the lower plate 21 and into the channel 22. The compression spring 29 is accommodated within a tubular - 10 housing 30, the upper edge of which forms an abutment to limit downwards movement of the locking element 23.

In the neutral or equilibrium position shown in Figures 3 and 4 the leaf spring 28 and compression spring 29 are both in a relaxed or unstressed condition, with the compression spring being fully extended with its upper end projecting beyond, and retaining the locking element 23 in position above, the upper edge of the tubular housing 30. When it is not being acted upon by any external forces the buckle will therefore adopt the neutral or equilibrium position, as shown in Figure 3.

In this neutral or equilibrium position the buckle is held in a predetermined orientation so that the channel 22 which is designed to receive the locking tongue 15 is directed slightly upwardly relative to the upper surf ace of the squab 2 of the adult seat 1 at a predetermined angle.

When the child safety seat 4 is to be mounted upon the adult seat 1, the tongue 15 which is rigidly connected to the child safety seat is aligned with the angle of the channel 22 by simply tilting the child seat slightly to the appropriate angle and is then introduced into the channel 22. As the tongue 15 is inserted into the channel its forwardmost edge will engage an inclined surface defined by the locking tooth 24 on the locking element and the locking element will be pushed downwardly out of the channel 22, against the bias of the compression spring 29 until the tongue has been fully inserted and the locking tooth 24 is aligned with the opening 19 in the tongue whereupon the spring 29 biases the locking tooth 24 into the opening 19. The tongue 15 and buckle 16 are now interconnected in the manner shown in Figure 4 of the drawings with the locking element 23 serving to retain the tongue 15 within the buckle 16 under the action of the spring 29. The buckle is still in the neutral or equilibrium position at the same angle relative to the upper surf ace of the squab 2 of the adult seat as it was before the tunnel 15 was inserted.

It will be appreciated that the insertion of the tongue 15 into the buckle 16 is a very simple procedure since the buckle is held at a predetermined angle and the tongue 15 is rigidly connected to the child safety seat. It is therefore merely necessary to hold the child safety seat and tilt it forwards so that the tongue is aligned with the angle of the buckle and then to insert the tongue into the buckle with a linear movement. It is not necessary to handle the buckle or the tongue and both hands can therefore be used to hold the child safety seat and move the seat linearly in order to introduce the tongue into the buckle. The correct insertion and locking of the tongue in the buckle is apparent because the person installing the child seat can feel and hear the movement of the locking element to the locking position.

Once the tongue 15 has been inserted into the buckle 16 and is securely locked therein, the child safety seat is tilted backwards so that it rests upon the upper surface of the squab 2 of the adult seat 1. The backwards tilting of the child seat to rest it upon the squab of the adult seat causes the buckle comprising the plates 20, 21 and the locking elements 23, to rotate through an angle a about the axis 27 from the neutral or equilibrium position. The buckle is now in the position shown in Figure 5. As the child safety seat is tilted backwards to rest upon the squab of the adult seat the connections with the anchoring points 11 on the floor of the vehicle are also established.

The child safety seat is now ready for use and is securely anchored at at least three anchoring points.

It will be noted from Figure 5 of the drawings that when the buckle 16 has moved down through the angle a the locking element 23 is in engagement with the upper edge of the tubular housing 30 which serves to prevent further downwards movement of the buckle. The engagement of the locking element with the upper edge of the tubular housing 30 also ensures that the locking tooth 24 is positively retained within the aperture 19 defined by the tongue 15 so that there is no risk of the tongue being inadvertently withdrawn from the buckle. Thus the locking element is blocked in the locking position and the buckle 16 is g-safe. The weight of the child safety seat (and during use thereof, any child seated therein) is sufficient to retain the buckle 16 in the position shown in Figure 5 where it has moved downwardly through an angle a from the neutral or equilibrium position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

When it is desired to release the tongue 15 from the buckle 16 in order to remove the child safety seat from the adult seat, the connections with the anchoring points 11 on the floor of the vehicle are initially released and then the child safety seat is tilted forwards (i.e. towards the back of the adult seat) in order to pivot the buckle and tongue upwardly about the axis 27. As the buckle pivots upwardly, the compression spring 29 extends until it reaches its fully extended position, whereupon the locking element 23 will no longer follow the continued upward movement of the buckle housing comprising the plates 20, 21. Thus, as the plates 20, 21 move further upwardly the locking element 23 remains in the neutral or equilibrium position. When the buckle housing has moved upwardly through an angle 8 about the axis 27 beyond the neutral or equilibrium position the locking tooth 24 has moved out of the aperture 19 in the tongue 15 and out of the aperture 25 in the lower plate 21 and the tongue is free to be withdrawn from the buckle. This withdrawal of the tongue is effected by a linear movement of the child safety seat away from the adult seat. The position of the buckle and tongue during this operation is shown in Figure 6 of the drawings.

It will be appreciated that the buckle housing is capable of moving upwardly through a greater angle than the locking element and this results in the automatic release of the locking element 24 from the aperture 19 in the tongue so that the tongue may be withdrawn from the buckle. It is therefore not necessary to handle the buckle 16 in order to release the tongue since this can be achieved simply by holding and tilting the child safety seat through an appropriate angle.

Once the tongue 15 has been withdrawn from the buckle 16 the leaf spring 28 biases the buckle housing downwardly until it is once again in the position shown in Figure 3.

It is to be appreciated that although an arrangement has been described in which the tongue 15 is mounted on the child safety seat and the buckle 16 is mounted on the anchoring point in the adult seat, the arrangement could be reversed, with the tongue being connected to the anchoring point in the adult seat and the buckle being mounted on the child safety seat. Whilst it would be possible for the buckle to be pivotally mounted on the child seat and to take the form of the buckle 16 illustrated in the drawings, it would also be possible for 1; the buckle to comprise a more conventional buckle having a locking element which is released by the actuation of a push button.

Where two buckles are provided on the front of the child safety seat for connection with two tongues at anchoring points on the adult seat frame, an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 2 may be provided at the front of the child safety seat with a common control lever being used in order to release both buckles at the front of the child safety seat.

Whilst reference has been made to the mounting of a child safety seat upon an adult seat in a motor vehicle it is to be appreciated that this invention can also be used with other child safety devices such as a booster cushion, a carry-cot or the like where these devices are also intended to be mounted upon an adult seat in a motor vehicle.

1 - is -

Claims

A combination of an adult seat in a motor vehicle and a child safety device designed for mounting upon the adult seat, the child safety device being releasably connectable to at least one anchoring point associated with the seat, the child safety device and the anchoring point each being provided with one of first and second cooperating members which are interengageable to form a releasable connection, the cooperating members being mounted on the child safety device and the anchoring point so as normally to be held in a predetermined orientation which permits inter-engagement of the cooperating members by appropriate movement of the child safety device relative to the adult seat, the first cooperating member comprising a housing adapted to receive the second cooperating member and further comprising a locking element moveable relative to the housing between a locking position in which the locking element engages the second cooperating member and retains the second cooperating member in the housing and a release position.
2. A combination according to Claim 1 wherein the locking element automatically adopts the locking position when the second cooperating member is inserted into the housing of the first cooperating member.
3. A combination according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the first and second cooperating members are inter-engaged by moving the child saf ety device linearly with respect to the adult seat.
4. A combination according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the adult seat comprises a back and a squab and the cooperating member which is mounted on the anchoring point associated with the adult seat is located between the back and the squab of the adult seat.
5. A combination according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein at least part of the first cooperating member is pivotally mounted on either the anchoring point associated with the adult seat or the child saf ety device and the second cooperating member is rigidly mounted on the other of the anchoring point associated with the adult seat and the child safety device, pivotal movement of the f irst cooperating member in a first direction from said predetermined orientation causing the locking element to adopt the release position.
6. A combination according to Claim 5 wherein the housing of the first cooperating member is pivotally mounted and the locking element of the f irst cooperating member is rigidly mounted.
7. A combination according to Claim 5 wherein both the housing and the locking element of the f irst cooperating member are pivotally mounted.
8. A combination according to Claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the housing of the f irst cooperating member is pivotable through a greater angle in said first direction from said predetermined orientation than the locking element of the first cooperating member, pivotal movement of the housing in said first direction beyond the position of the locking element causes the locking element to adopt the release position.
9. A combination according to any one of Claims 5 to 8 wherein, when the first cooperating member is pivotally connected to the anchoring point associated with the adult seat and the second cooperating member is rigidly mounted on the child safety device, the locking element of the first cooperating member is caused to adopt the release position by tilting the child seat in said first direction when the first and second cooperating members are inter- engaged.
10. A combination according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 wherein the locking element of the first cooperating member is pivotable in a second direction from said predetermined orientation opposite to said first direction, movement of the locking element in this second direction being limited by the engagement of the locking element with an abutment.
11. A combination according to Claim 10 wherein the housing of the first cooperating member is also pivotable in the second direction through the same angle from said predetermined position as the locking element, pivotal movement of the housing and the locking element in said second direction until the locking element engages said abutment causing the locking element to be blocked in the locking position.
12. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first cooperating member is mounted upon the child safety device.
13. A combination according to Claim 12 wherein the locking element of the first cooperating member is movable to the release position by the actuation of a push button or lever associated with the first cooperating member.
14. A combination according to Claim 13 wherein the push button or lever serves to move a plurality of locking 1 elements to the release position in a plurality of f irst cooperating members used to connect the child saf ety device to a plurality of anchoring points.
15. A combination according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 wherein the first cooperating member is mounted upon an anchoring point associated with the adult seat.
16. A combination of an adult seat in a motor vehicle and a child safety device substantially as herein described, with reference to and as shown in the accompany drawings.
17. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.

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