Harness tightening system for car seats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173553-B2
Application number	US-201715415419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A child car seat can include a seat base and a seat shell. The seat shell can include a seat bottom and a seat back along a front side of the seat shell. Shoulder straps can be provided to assist holding a child in place in the car seat. The shoulder straps can extend through openings in the seat back of the seat shell and can be coupled to a splitter plate positioned along a back side of the seat shell. The splitter plate can include a slot for receiving a tightening strap and a roller or radiused edge positioned adjacent the slot to help the tightening strap slide along the roller or radiused edge when tension is applied to it. The tightening strap can be routed through the slot and under the seat shell and can pass through another slot along the seat bottom to tighten the shoulder straps.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A child car seat comprising:
a seat shell comprising:
a seat back;
a seat bottom; and
a first slot disposed through the seat bottom and providing a passageway from a front side to a rear side of the seat shell;

a splitter plate disposed along the rear side of the seat shell and including a second slot disposed therein;
a first shoulder strap and a second shoulder strap, each of the first and the second shoulder straps having a first end disposed along the front side of the seat shell and a distal second end disposed through a portion of the splitter plate; and
a tightening strap comprising a first end directly coupled to the seat shell and a distal second end, wherein the tightening strap extends through the second slot in the splitter plate and the second end of the tightening strap extends through the first slot in the seat bottom of the seat shell.

2. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the tightening strap is coupled to the seat shell.

3. The child car seat of claim 1 , further comprising a spring-biased strap retractor reel, wherein the second end of the tightening strap is coupled to the strap retractor reel.

4. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises:
at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture configured to receive the first shoulder strap and the second shoulder strap therethrough.

5. The child car seat of claim 4 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises:
at least one shoulder strap receiving passageway extending from at least one of a first side edge and a second side edge of the splitter plate to the at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture.

6. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises:
a first shoulder strap receiving aperture configured to receive the first shoulder strap therethrough;
a second shoulder strap receiving aperture configured to receive the second shoulder strap therethrough;
a first shoulder strap receiving passageway extending from a first side edge of the splitter plate to the first shoulder strap receiving aperture; and
a second shoulder strap receiving passageway extending from a second side edge of the splitter plate opposite the first side edge to the second shoulder strap receiving aperture.

7. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the second slot is defined by an outer perimeter edge and wherein at least a portion of the outer perimeter edge is radiused in a direction of travel of the tightening strap through the second slot.

8. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises a cylindrical roller rotatably coupled to the splitter plate.

9. The child car seat of claim 8 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises:
a first roller mounting arm coupled to the splitter plate and rotatably coupled to a first end of the cylindrical roller; and
a second roller mounting arm coupled to the splitter plate and rotatably coupled to a second end of the cylindrical roller.

10. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat shell further comprises a friction-reducing feature, wherein the friction-reducing feature is configured to reduce a friction force between the seat shell and the tightening strap when the tightening strap is in contact with the seat shell.

11. The child car seat of claim 10 , wherein the friction-reducing feature is one of a roller rotatably coupled to the seat shell or a smooth rounded surface.

12. The child car seat of claim 10 , wherein the friction-reducing feature is positioned along a rear side of the seat shell.

13. The child car seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seat base configured to be positioned along a top surface of an automobile seat; and
a seat tilting mechanism coupled to the seat shell and movably adjustable along the seat base.

14. A child car seat comprising:
a seat shell comprising:
a first shoulder strap slot disposed through a seat back of the seat shell and providing a first passageway through the seat shell;
a second shoulder strap slot disposed through the seat back and providing a second passageway through the seat shell; and
a first tightening strap slot disposed through a seat bottom of the seat shell and providing a third passageway through the seat shell;

a first shoulder strap comprising a first end and a distal second end, wherein the first end of the first shoulder strap is disposed along a front side of the seat shell and a portion of the first shoulder strap is disposed through the first shoulder strap slot;
a second shoulder strap comprising a first end and a distal second end, wherein the first end of the second shoulder strap is disposed along the front side of the seat shell and a portion of the second shoulder strap is disposed through the second shoulder strap slot;
a splitter plate disposed along a rear side of the seat shell and comprising:
a second tightening strap slot; and
a cylindrical roller rotatably coupled to the splitter plate,

a tightening strap comprising a first end and a distal second end, wherein the tightening strap extends through the second tightening strap slot and along a portion of the cylindrical roller in the splitter plate and extends through the first tightening strap slot in the seat shell.

15. The child car seat of claim 14 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises:
at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture, wherein a second portion of the first shoulder strap is disposed through the at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture; and
wherein a second portion of the second shoulder strap is disposed through the at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture.

16. A child car seat comprising:
a seat shell comprising a first tightening strap slot disposed through a seat bottom of the seat shell and providing a passageway through the seat shell from a front side of the seat bottom towards a rear side of the seat shell;
a first shoulder strap comprising a first end and a distal second end, wherein the first end of the first shoulder strap is disposed along a front side of the seat shell and a portion of the first shoulder strap is disposed through the seat shell;
a second shoulder strap comprising a first end and a distal second end, wherein the first end of the second shoulder strap is disposed along the front side of the seat shell and a portion of the second shoulder strap is disposed through the seat shell;
a splitter plate disposed along a rear side of the seat shell and comprising a second tightening strap slot provided in the splitter plate, the second tightening strap slot defined by an outer perimeter edge of the second tightening strap slot, wherein at least a portion of the outer perimeter edge is rounded in a direction of travel of a tightening strap through the second tightening strap slot; and
the tightening strap comprising a first end and a distal second end, wherein the tightening strap extends through the second tightening strap slot and contacts a portion of the rounded portion of the outer perimeter edge of the second tightening slot and the second end of the tightening strap extends through the passageway of the first tightening strap slot and extends out from the front side of the seat bottom of the seat shell.

17. The child car seat of claim 16 , wherein the splitter plate further comprises:
at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture, wherein a second portion of the first shoulder strap is disposed through the at least one shoulder strap receiving aperture; and
wherein a second portion of the second shoulder strap i

Assignees

• Graco Childrens Products Inc

Inventors

• Mitchell Thomas Jake
• Lombardi Nicholas James
• Reaves Nicholas Henry
• Brunick Daniel J
• Kitchens Andrew Phillip

Classifications

• B60N2/2812 Primary

  for securing the child to the child seat · CPC title

• B60N2/2872

  provided with side rests · CPC title

• B60N2/2821

  having a seat and a base part · CPC title

• B60N2/2875

  inclinable, as a whole or partially · CPC title