GB2518501A

GB2518501A - Safety seat adjusting mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2518501A
Application number: GB1412699.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Zong-Wang Cui
Original assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Co Ltd Hong Kong
Current assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Co Ltd Hong Kong
Priority date: 2013-07-19
Filing date: 2014-07-17
Publication date: 2015-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2034-07-17
Also published as: DE102014214032A1; GB2518501B; DE102014214032B4; CN104290622B; GB201412699D0; CN104290622A

Abstract

A safety seat adjusting mechanism includes a frame 310 fixed to a base of a safety seat (100, figure 1), an operating member 320, two sliding rods 330 slidably disposed at two sides of the frame, two linkage rods 360 disposed with tips opposite to each other, a linkage unit 370 connected to one end of each linkage rod, and two lock members 350 connected to the two linkage rods respectively. An end of each sliding rod is fixed to an adjusting rod 340 of the safety seat. A seat fixing device 200, such as an isofix connector, is connected to the adjusting rod. Lock holes (331, figure 4) are formed on the two sliding rods respectively. The other end of at least one of the two linkage rods is connected to the operating member. Each lock member is used for selectively engaging with one of the corresponding lock holes. When the operating member is operated, the two lock members are disengaged from the lock holes synchronously, thus allowing both sliding rods to be moved and thus the seat fixing devices to be moved into and out of their operating positions.

Description

SAFETY SEAT ADJUSTING MECHANISM

Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an adjusting mechanism, and more specifically, to a safety seat adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of a seat fixing device relative to a safety seat.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In general, a conventional safety seat has an adjusting mechanism disposed thereon for adjusting a seat fixing device to protrude from or retract back into a base of the safety seat. When the seat fixing device needs to be adjusted, the adjusting mechanism could be used for releasing the seat fixing device so as to make the seat fixing device adjustable.

When the seat fixing device has been adjusted to a target position, the adjusting mechanism could be used for locking the seat fixing device.

The seat fixing device has two ISCFTX connectors. The two ISOFIX connectors are located at two sides of the safety seat respectively for inserting into ISOFIX ports on a car seat.

Positions where the two TSOFTX connectors are inserted into the two ISOFIX ports must be symmetrical to each other so as to make the safety seat receive force uniformly. In such a manner, connection reliability between the safety seat and the car seat could be improved. From the aforesaid reasons, the adjusting mechanism is designed to have two sliding rods slidably disposed at two sides of the base. Front ends of the two sliding rods are connected to an adjusting rod respectively and the seat fixing device is connected to the adjusting rod for achieving the purpose that the two ISOFIX connectors could protrude from or retract back into the base synchronously. Since the two sliding rods need to be unlocked respectively when the seat fixing device needs to be adjusted and the two sliding rods need to be locked respectively when the seat fixing device has been adjusted to a target position, it may cause a user much inconvenience in operating the adjusting mechanism.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide an adjusting mechanism for synchronously locking and releasing two sliding rods to solve the aforesaid problems.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a safety seat adjusting mechanism for adjusting a seat fixing device to protrude from or retract back into a base of a safety seat. The seat fixing device is connected to an adjusting rod of the safety seat.

The safety seat adjusting mechanism includes a frame, an operating member, two sliding rods, two linkage rods, a linkage unit, and two lock members. The frame is fixed to the base. The two sliding rods are symmetrically disposed at two sides of the frame and slidably connected to the frame. An end of each sliding rod is fixed to the adjusting rod. At least two lock holes are formed on the two sliding rods respectively along a sliding direction of the two sliding rods. The two linkage rods are disposed with tips opposite to each other.

The linkage unit is connected to one end of each linkage rod.

The other end of at least one of the two linkage rods is connected to the operating member. The two lock mexfters are connected to the two linkage rods respectively. Each lock member is used for selectively engaging with one of the corresponding lock holes. When the operating member is operated to drive the linkage unit, the two linkage rods move synchronously relative to the frame with linkage of the linkage unit so as to drive each lock member to disengage from the corresponding lock hole synchronously.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill ir the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a base having a seat fixing device and a safety seat adjusting mechanism disposed thereon according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the safety seat adjusting mechanism in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagram of an "A" portior in FIG. 2.

FTG. 4 is an exploded diagram of the safety seat adjusting mechanism in FTG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the safety seat adjusting mechanism in FIG. 2 being locked.

FTG. 6 is an enlarged diagram of a "B" portion in FIG. 5.

FTG. 7 is a diagram of the safety seat adjusting mechanism in FIG. 2 being released.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged diagram of a "C" portion in FIG. 7.

Detailed Description

Detailed description for embodiments of the present invention is provided according to the following figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, a base 100 of a safety seat has a containing space lOOa for containing a seat fixing device 200.

A safety seat adjusting mechanism 300 of the present invention is disposed in the base 100. The seat fixing device 200 is driven by the safety seat adjusting mechanism 300 to protrude from or retract back into the containing space lOOa.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the safety seat adjusting mechanism 300 includes a frame 310, two operating members 320, two sliding rods 330, an adjusting rod 340, two lock members 350, two linkage rods 360, a linkage unit 370, an elastic member 380, and two sliding bases 390. The frame 310 is fixed to the base 100. The sliding rods 330 are slidably connected to the frame 310, and each siiding rod 330 has a plurality of lock holes 331 formed thereon along a sliding direction of the sliding rod 330 (as shown in FIG. 4) . The lock member 350 is engaged with one of the lock holes 331 to limit sliding of each sliding rod 330 relative to the frame 310. The two operating members 320 are operably connected to the frame 310.

Each operating member 320 is used for driving the corresponding lock member 350 to disengage from the corresponding lock hole 331, so as to make the corresponding sliding rod 330 slidable relative to the frame 310 to drive the seat fixing device 200 to protrude from or retract back into the containing space lOOa.

As shown in FTG. 4, two sides of the frame 310 have a sliding slot 311 formed therein respectively for allowing the corresponding sliding rod 330 to slide therein. Each of the two parallel sliding rods 330 is disposed through the corresponding sliding slot 331 and is slidable relative to the frame 310. One end of each sliding rod 330 slides to protrude from the base 100 and is fixed to the adjusting rod 340. To be more specific, the two sliding rods 330 are fixed to two ends of the adjusting rod 340 respectively. The seat fixing device 200 is fixed to the adjusting rod 340. Each sliding rod 330 has the plurality of lock holes 331 formed thereon along a sliding direction of each sliding rod 330.

When the sliding rod 330 extends outwardly a maximum length relative to the base 100 and the seat fixing device 200 protrudes from the containing space bOa, the lock member 350 could be engaged with a first lock hole 331a located at a rear end of the sliding rod 330. When the sliding rod 330 retracts inward to make the seat fixing device 200 contained in the containing space lOOa, the lock member 350 could be engaged with a second lock hole 331k located at a front end of the sliding rod 330. The lock member 350 is engaged with one of the lock holes 331 (e.g. the first lock hole 331a or the second lock hole 331b) to limit sliding of the sliding rod 330 relative to the frame 310.

Two side walls of the frame 310 have a pocket hole 312 formed thereon respectively. The two linkage rods 360 opposite to each other pass through the pocket holes 312 respectively.

A top end of each linkage rod 360, which is relatively close to the opposite linkage rod 360, is pivotally connected to the linkage unit 370, and an outer end of each linkage rod 360, which is relatively away from the opposite linkage rod 360, has the corresponding operating member 320 fixed thereon.

Each linkage rod 360 is connected to the corresponding lock member 350. Via operating any one of the operating members 320, linkage of the two linkage rods 360 could be performed for driving each lock member 350 to disengage from the corresponding lock hole 331 synchronously. In another embodiment, the present invention could also adopt the design in which only one linkage rod 360 has the operating member 320 fixed thereon. Furthermore, the frame 310 further has a guide tube 314. Two ends of the guide tube 314 are communicated with the pocket holes 312 respectively. Each linkage rod 360 is disposed through the guide tube 314 and passes through the pocket hole 312. Each operating member 320 is located outside the corresponding side wall of the frame 310 and is connected to the outer end of the corresponding linkage rod 360.

The two lock members 350 are disposed with tips opposite to each other. A top end of each lock member 350, which is relatively close to the opposite lock member 350, is connected to the corresponding sliding base 390. Each sliding base 390 has a positioning hoie 391 facing the opposite lock member 350. Two inner wails of the frame 310 have a through hole 313 formed thereon respectively. An outer end of each lock member 350, which is relatively away from the opposite lock member 350, passes through the corresponding through hole 313 and is engaged with the corresponding lock hole 331. The elastic member 380 is connected between the two sliding bases 390, and two ends of the elastic member 380 are contained in the two positioning holes 391 respectively, so as to make each lock member 350 have the tendency to engage with the corresponding lock hole 331. The elastic member 380 could be a spring.

Each sliding base 390 is fixed to the corresponding linkage rod 360. By operating any one of the operating members 320, the linkage unit 370 could accordingly drive the two linkage rods 360 to approach each other, so as to drive the two sliding bases 390 and the two lock members 350 to synchronously approach each other. When the two sliding bases 390 approach eaoh other, the elastio member 380 oould be compressed and each lock member 350 could move inward to disengage from the corresponding lock hole 331, so that each sliding rod 330 could be slidable in the corresponding sliding slot 311. To be more specific, a movement direction of each linkage rod 360, a movement direction of each sliding base 390, and a movement direction of each lock member 350 are parallel to each other, and are all perpendicular to a sliding direction of each sliding rod 330 in the sliding slot 311.

As shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 8, the linkage unit 370 includes four linkage members 371. The four linkage members 371 are pivoted mutually to form a parallelogram structure. Pivot ends 37la, 371b respectively corresponding to a first pair of opposite angles of the parallelogram structure are dispcsed longitudinally, and pivot ends 371c, 371d respectively corresponding to a second pair of opposite angles of the parallelogram structure are disposed transversely. The pivot end 371b is pivotally connected to the frame 310, but not limited thereto, meaning that the present invention could also adopt the design in which the pivot end 371a is pivotally connected to the frame 310. In this embodiment, the two linkage members 371, which are symmetrical relative to a diagonal line corresponding the first pair of opposite angles, are pivotally connected to each other to cooperatively form the pivot end 371a or the pivot end 371b and are pivotally connected to the two linkage rods 360 respectively. Middle sections of the aforesaid two linkage members 371 are pivotally connected to the other two linkage members 371 to cooperatively form the pivot end 371c and the pivot end 371d. In another embodiment, the present invention could also adopt the design in which the linkage unit 370 is pivotally connected to the two linkage rods 360 via the pivot end 371c and the pivot end 371d. In practical application, the linkage unit 370 could be pivotally connected to the two linkage rods 360 via guide pins. Guide slots 314a are formed on the guide tube 314 corresponding to positions where the linkage unit 370 is pivotally connected to the two linkage rods 360 respectively. The guide slots 314a could be formed along a sliding direction of each guide pin. Each guide pin is disposed through the corresponding guide slot 314a, and two ends of each guide pin are pivotally connected to the corresponding linkage rod 360 and the linkage unit 370 respectively. More detailed description for the adjusting process of the safety seat adjusting mechanism 300 is provided as follows according to FIGS. 1-8.

In the initial state, the seat fixing device 200 retracts back into the containing space lOOa. Via elastic driving of the elastic member 380, the two lock members 350 are engaged with the second lock holes 331b respectively (as shown in FIG. and FIG. 6) . When the safety seat needs to be assembled, any one of the two operating members 320 could be pressed to push the linkage members 371, so as to make the pivot ends 371c, 371d approach each other and make the pivot ends 371a, 371b away from each other. Accordingly, the two linkage rods 360 could move inward to drive the two lock members 350 to disengage from the second lock holes 331b respectively (at this time, the elastic member 380 is compressed) . In such a manner, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the sliding rods 330 could slide in the sliding slots 311 respectively to drive the seat fixing device 200 to protrude from the containing space lOOa. When the seat fixing device 200 has extended an appropriate length relative to the base 100, the operating member 320 could be released so that elastic force provided by the compressed elastic member 380 could drive the two lock members 350 to move outward. At this time, forward and backward movement of the sliding rods 330 in the sliding slots 311 could be performed for fine adjustment until the two lock members 350 are engaged with the lock holes 331 respectively (as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) In summary, the safety seat adjusting mechanism 300 includes the two linkage rods 360 opposite to each other and the linkage unit 370 connected between the two linkage rods 360. The two lock members 350 are also opposite to each other, and the elastic member 380 is connected between the two lock members 350. Accordingly, the two lock members 350 could be driven by the elastic force provided from the elastic member 380 to engage with the lock holes 331 respectively. When the seat fixing device 200 needs to be adjusted to protrude from the containing space lOOa, any one of the two operating members 320 could be operated to drive the corresponding linkage rod

S

360 to move synchronously with the other linkage rod 360 via the linkage unit 370, so that the two lock members 350 could be disengaged from the lock holes 331 synchronously for releasing the two sliding rods 330. When the seat fixing device has extended an appropriate length relative to the base 100, the operating member 320 could be released and then the two lock members 350 could be engaged with the lock holes 331 again by the elastic force provided from the elastic member 380 so as to lock the two sliding rods 330. The safety seat adjusting mechanism 300 of the present invention is easy to operate and allows that a user could freely operate any one of the operating members 320 to synchronously drive the two lock members 350 for releasing or locking the two sliding rods 330, so as to greatly improve convenience of the safety seat in adjusting the seat fixing device 200.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.

Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is: 1. A safety seat adjusting mechanism for adjusting a seat fixing device to protrude from or retract back into a base of a safety seat, the seat fixing device being connected to an adjusting rod of the safety seat, the safety seat adjusting mechanism comprising: a frame fixed to the base; an operating member; two sliding rods symmetrically disposed at two sides of the frame and slidably connected to the frame, an end of each sliding rod being fixed to the adjusting rod, at least two lock holes being formed on the two sliding rods respectively along a sliding direction of the two sliding rods; two linkage rods disposed with tips opposite to each other; a linkage unit connected to an end of each linkage rod, the other end of at least one of the two linkage rods being connected to the operating member; and two lock members connected to the two linkage rods respectively, each lock member being used for selectively engaging with one of the corresponding lock holes; wherein when the operating member is operated to drive the linkage unit, the two linkage rods move synchronously relative to the frame with linkage of the linkage unit so as to drive each lock member to disengage from the corresponding lock hole synchronously.
2. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the linkage unit comprises four linkage members, the four linkage members are pivoted mutually to form a parallelogram structure, two pivot ends respectively corresponding to a first pair of opposite angles of the parallelogram structure are disposed longitudinally, and two pivot ends respectively corresponding to a second pair of opposite angles of the parallelogram structure are disposed transversely.
3. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 2, wherein each of the two pivot ends respectively corresponding to the second pair of opposite angles of the parallelogram structure is pivoted to an end of the corresponding linkage rod.
4. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 2, wherein the two linkage members, which are symmetrical relative to a diagonal line correspording the first pair of opposite angles, are pivotally connected to each other to cooperatively form one of the two pivot ends respectively corresponding to the first pair of opposite angles and are pivoted to the two linkage rods respectively, and middle sections of the two linkage members symmetrical relative to the diagonal line are pivotally connected to the other two linkage members to cooperatively form the two pivot ends corresponding to the second pair of opposite angles.
5. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 2, wherein one of the two pivot ends corresponding to the first pair of opposite angles is pivoted to the frame.
6. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the safety seat adjusting mechanism further comprises an elastic member, the two lock members are disposed with tips opposite to each other, and the elastic member is connected between the two lock members.
7. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 6, wherein the safety seat adjusting mechanism further comprises two sliding bases, a top end of each iock member, which is relatively close to the opposite lock member, is connected to the corresponding sliding base, each sliding base has a positicning hole facing the oppcsite lock member, and each end of the elastic member is engaged with the corresponding positioning hole.
8. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 7, wherein the two sliding bases are connected to the two linkage rods respectively.
9. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the two sliding rods are parallel to each other, and the two lock members are perpendicular to the two sliding rods.
10. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 1, wherein a movement direction of each look member is parallel to a movement direction of each linkage rod, and is perpendicular to a sliding direction of each sliding rod.
11. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 10, wherein the frame has a guide tube perpendicular to the sliding direction of each sliding rod, each linkage rod is disposed through the guide tube, and guide slots are formed on the guide tube respectively corresponding to positions where the linkage unit is pivotally connected to the two linkage rods.
12. The safety seat adjusting mechanism of claim 1, wherein through holes are formed on the frame respectively corresponding to the two lock members, and each lock member passes through the corresponding through hole and then is engaged with the corresponding lock hole.