Infant carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10299609-B2
Application number	US-201615254097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2016
Priority date	Sep 3, 2015
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

An infant carrier includes a carrying handle having a coupling shell pivotally connected with a coupling portion of a seat body, and a latch assembled in the coupling shell. The carrying handle is adjustable to multiple angular positions, which include a carry position for facilitating transport of the infant carrier with the carrying handle, and a recline position inclined relative to the carry position. The latch can engage with the coupling portion for locking the carrying handle in position, or disengage from the coupling portion for allowing rotation of the carrying handle. A safety mechanism is disposed in an inner cavity defined at least partially by the coupling shell and the coupling portion, and can interact with the latch for forcing the carrying handle to stop in an intermediate safety position during adjustment of the carrying handle from the carry position toward the recline position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An infant carrier comprising:
a seat body for receiving a child, a side of the seat body having a coupling portion;
a carrying handle having a coupling shell pivotally connected with the coupling portion of the seat body, the carrying handle being adjustable to a plurality of angular positions relative to the seat body, the angular positions including a carry position where the carrying handle erects above the seat body for facilitating transport of the infant carrier with the carrying handle, and at least one recline position where the carrying handle is inclined relative to the carry position;
a latch assembled in the coupling shell of the carrying handle, the latch being movable relative to the coupling shell and the carrying handle to engage with the coupling portion for blocking rotation of the carrying handle or to disengage from the coupling portion for allowing rotation of the carrying handle; and
a safety mechanism disposed in an inner cavity between the coupling shell and the coupling portion, the safety mechanism interacting with the latch for forcing the carrying handle to stop in an intermediate safety position during adjustment of the carrying handle from the carry position toward the recline position, the latch engaging with the coupling portion for locking the carrying handle in the safety position.

2. The infant carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion includes a plurality of locking grooves respectively corresponding to the angular positions of the carrying handle, and the latch engages with any of the locking grooves to lock the carrying handle in position and prevent rotation of the carrying handle relative to the seat body.

3. The infant carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the carrying handle is further assembled with a release member that is operatively connected with the latch via a cable, the release member being operated to cause an unlocking displacement of the latch that disengages the latch from the coupling portion while the carrying handle is in the safety position, thereby allowing rotation of the carrying handle away from the safety position.

4. The infant carrier according to claim 3 , wherein the safety mechanism includes a locking groove, and the latch engages with the locking groove when the carrying handle is locked in the safety position, the release member being operated to disengage the latch from the locking groove for allowing rotation of the carrying handle away from the safety position.

5. The infant carrier according to claim 3 , wherein the safety mechanism includes an impeding part movably assembled on the coupling portion, the latch having an interacting surface that is located away from the impeding part when the carrying handle is in the carry position, and the interacting surface of the latch contacting with the impeding part when the carrying handle rotating away from the carry position reaches the safety position.

6. The infant carrier according to claim 5 , wherein the engagement of the latch with the coupling portion for locking the carrying handle in the safety position disengages the interacting surface of the latch from the impeding part.

7. The infant carrier according to claim 6 , wherein the impeding part is movable relative to the coupling portion between a first and a second state, the impeding part being in the first state when the interacting surface of the latch contacts with the impeding part, and the impeding part being displaced from the first state to the second state for allowing a disengagement of the latch from the coupling portion while the carrying handle is in the safety position.

8. The infant carrier according to claim 7 , further including a spring connected with the impeding part for biasing the impeding part to the first state.

9. The infant carrier according to claim 3 , wherein the safety mechanism includes a carriage anchored with one end of the cable, and a catching part connected with the carriage and having a driving surface, the catching part being movable relative to the carriage between a first and a second state, the carriage and the catching part in the first state being movable in unison upon actuation of the release member so that the driving surface pushes and urges the latch to disengage from the coupling portion, and the driving surface being disengaged from the latch for allowing the latch to move relative to the carriage and the catching part when the catching part is in the second state.

10. The infant carrier according to claim 9 , wherein the catching part is pivotally connected with the carriage.

11. The infant carrier according to claim 10 , wherein the carriage and the catching part move in unison along a first axis upon actuation of the release member, and the catching part is pivotally connected with the carriage about a second axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis.

12. The infant carrier according to claim 9 , further including a latch biasing spring connected with the latch, wherein while the catching part is in the second state, the latch biasing spring urges the latch to move relative to the carriage and the catching part for locking engagement with the coupling portion and thereby stopping the carrying handle in the safety position.

13. The infant carrier according to claim 9 , further including a spring connected with the catching part for biasing the catching part to the first state.

14. The infant carrier according to claim 9 , wherein the catching part has a ramped surface and the coupling portion has a protrusion, and a rotation of the carrying handle from the carry position toward the recline position causes the protrusion of the coupling portion to push against the ramped surface and thereby urge the catching part to switch from the first state to the second state.

15. The infant carrier according to claim 1 , wherein an outer side surface of the seat body is attached with a shock-absorbing cushion, the shock-absorbing cushion being placed near a headrest region of the seat body.

16. The infant carrier according to claim 7 , further including a carriage pivotally connected with the coupling portion, and the impeding part being pivotally connected with the carriage, the impeding part being rotatable relative to the carriage and the coupling portion between the first and second states.

17. The infant carrier according to claim 16 , wherein the coupling portion has a stop rib and the carriage has an edge, the carriage being movable with the impeding part relative to the coupling portion between a first position where the edge is located away from the stop rib and a second position where the edge contacts with the stop rib.

18. The infant carrier according to claim 17 , wherein the interacting surface of the latch is located away from the impeding part and the carriage is in the first position when the carrying handle is in the carry position, and the interacting surface of the latch contacts with the impeding part and the carriage is pushed to the second position when the carrying handle rotating away from the carry position reaches the safety position.

19. The infant carrier according to claim 17 , further including a spring connected with the carriage for biasing the carriage to the first position.

20. The infant carrier according to claim 19 , wherein the engagement of the latch with the coupling portion for locking the carrying handle in the safety position disengages the interacting surface of the latch from the impeding part and allows the carriage to r

Assignees

• Wonderland Nursery Goods
• Wonderland Switzerland Ag

Inventors

• Taylor Andrew J
• Mason Kyle S
• Sellers Gregory S
• Hartenstine Curtis M
• Bowers Patrick J G

Classifications

• B60N2/2845 Primary

  having handles · CPC title

• B60N2/2827 Primary

  part of the base being supported by the seat sub-frame (B60N2/2893 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2002/957

  the locking system prevents an abnormal or wrong mounting situation, i.e. deployment or functioning of a seat part being prevented if the seat or seat part is not properly mounted · CPC title

• B60N2/2884

  with protection systems against abnormal g-forces · CPC title

• B60N2/2881

  Upholstery, padded or cushioned members therefor · CPC title