GB2376625A

GB2376625A - Convertible child-adult vehicle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2376625A
Application number: GB0115125A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dawn Lesley Smith; Geoffrey John Broome
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-21
Filing date: 2001-06-21
Publication date: 2002-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-21
Also published as: GB0115125D0; GB2376625B

Abstract

A vehicle seat has seat and back elements 9, 10 pivotally mounted on arms 11, themselves pivotally mounted to the seat frame 7. The elements are reversible by lifting away from the frame, rotating through 180{ and replacing in the frame. One surface of each element has a recess 14,15 to accommodate a child. The recesses in the "stored" position give a normal adult seat and when exposed the seat is converted for child use. The elements may form the middle section of a rear seat and each has a safety lock 16.

Description

A PERMANENT REVERSIBLE GUILDS SAFETY SEAT The invention relates to a child's safety seat, which is a permanent fixture on the reverse side of a rear seat of a vehicle As with current child's safety seats, they are a seperate item to the vehicle, they are difficult to secure and when there is sudden weight movement or impact, it still allows movement from side to side thus not being a very good safety feature, hence all the unecessary child death's and injuries every year.

This will be one safety seat with a life saving dual purpose.

The object of the dual seat will be a reversible action allowing the child safety feature to come into operation when needed.

It is a safer, quicker and easier solution than to remove a seperate seat when not needed.

The safety seat is also fixed and locked into position.

This invention provides all round protection when the seat is reversed to the child safety seat position.

By reversing the bottom and back middle seat cushions anticlockwise and clockwise the seat transforms from a normal seat to a child safety seat.

This seat will be fixed in a permanent position within the rear seat.

The rear and safety seats could be made up of metal, fibre glass or plastic, fire safety sponge and fire safety cloth or leather for the coverings of seats.

The child safety seat belt will be a harness.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which.

FIGURE 1/lo shows rear back seat in normal position.

FIGURE 2 shows the frame, and the safety seat in middle position incorporated and bùilt into the main frame.

It is included with mechanical arms and safety lock.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the side view of the reversible seat in normal position.

The continuos seat line refers to adult side of seat and the broken lines refer to the safety seat as in figures 3,4, 5,6.

FIGURE 4 illustrates bottom seat tilting up enabling the seat to lift and turn to reverse position anti-clockwise.

FIGURE 5 illustrates back seat tilting forward from the top to clear for rotating clockwise.

FIGURE 6 shows the full seat completely reversed with the child safety seat fixed in position to give allround protection.

FIGURE 7 shows the frontal view of the middle seat fully reversed showing the child safety seat.

FIGURE 8 illustrates front and side view of mechanical arms mechanism, allowing a 90 degree movement.

FIGURE 9 illustrates mechanical arm with bushes and key.

The spindel key and bush 4 is ued as a 180 degree stop when seat cushions are reversed.

The spindel is part of the bottom and back seat cushion.

FIGURE 10 illustrates the mechanical mechanism safety lock.

* = seat belts anchorage position. FIGURE 3, 4, 5,6.

Shown in FIGURE 1/10 is the rear seat frame 7 with seats 8/9/10 which are in the normal position. The middle seat 9 and 10 rotates into a child safety seat 14 and 15.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the middle seat 9 and 10 has two mechanical arms 11. One is positioned inside the back of the main frame 7 and the other positioned at the bottom of the main frame.

The two arms 11 are fitted each with two mechanical mechanisms 13 and a safety lock 16 which then is bolted to the main frame 7.

The arms 11 are fitted to the seats 9 and 10 as shown in figure 2 FIGURE 3 shows the side view of the middle seat 9 and 10. They are in the normal position. The bottom seat 9 in FIGURE 4 shows it tilting up, allowing seat 10 in FIGURE 5 to pull forward.

Both seats 9 and 10 unlock by pulling the safety lock 16 out and useing strap 17 to pull up the seat and forward to rotate anticlockwise. This allows seat 10 to pull out and rotate clockwise.

When both seats 9 and 10 are fully reversed they become locked back into the safety lock 16. The child safety seat 14 and 15 is on view.

FIGURE 7 illustrates the front view of the child safety seat 14 and 15 locked into position in the main Seat frame 7. FIGURE 6 also shows the side view.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a side and open view of the mechanical mechanism 13. There are two per arm 11. The houseing is made up of two cogs. The top 12 is welded to the arm 11 and the bottom cog 26 is fitted underneath cog 12. Both cogs have nylon bushes 24. The cogs have teeth on one side. This enables the arms 11 to lift 90 degrees which allows for the seats 9 and 10 to rotate. The mechanical mechanism houseing 13, is in two parts as shown in FIGURE 8. They are fixed together by lineing up dowels 25. The four bolts 23 from the main frame, go into the housing holes 22 which are threaded and tightened.

FIGURE 9 illustrates fixing the arm 11 to the seat spindle 5.

The spindle has a key 5A which is used as a stop. There are two bushes 3 and 4., Bush 4 is a special bush as shown in FIGURE 8.

This bush allows the seats 9 and 10 to turn 180 degrees and stop at 5A Bolt 1 with washer 2'fasten arm 11 to the seat spindle 5, which has a plastic sleeve 6 built into the bottom and back seat cushions 9 and 10.

FIGURE 10 shows the safety locking mechanism showing a side and open view. The housing 16 is in two parts. The first part holds the safety pin 20A which is spring loaded 19. The second part of the houseing holds the arm 11 which is fitted with nylon bushes 24 to the houseing 16. The arm 11 has a lux2 winch horizontal cut out in the centre 18. This is to allow the safety pin 20A to engage into lock ed position the two houseings are lined up on dowels 25 and fixed together. The safety locking mechanism is fixed in the middle of the arm 11. Bolts 21A are to secure top safety lock 16 with bolts 23 to main frame. Bolts 21 secure the bottom safety lock 16 with four bolts 23 from the main frame, which go into the houseing holes Z2 which are threaded.

Claims

- CLAIMS- 1. A vehicle safety seat comprising a seat element and a back element wherein at least one of the seat element and the back element comprises first and second surfaces which are interchangeable between first and second modes of disposition to accommodate, in a first mode, an adult, and in a second mode, a child.
2. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein at least one element has a second surface comprising a recess dimensioned to partially contain a child.
3. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, wherein the first surface, of at least one element, is disposed so as to face in a direction which opposes the second surface thereof.
4. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one element is supported in a frame.

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5. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in any of the preceding claims, including pivotal means operable to rotate at least one element about a pivot axis and thereby convert the element from the first mode into the second mode, and vice versa.
6. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 5, wherein at least one element is supported in a frame and the pivotal means comprises at least one arm, having a supported end pivotably mounted on the frame, and a supporting end, onto which the element is pivotably mounted.
7. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claims 5 or 6, wherein the pivotal means comprises a collar, over which the end of the arm is mounted, a spindle, over which the collar is mounted to rotationally cooperate therewith, and fixing means for fixing the collar, the arm end, and the spindle, together.
8. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the pivotal means comprises stopping means operable to prevent rotation of at least one element beyond a desired angular rotation.
9. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claims 5 to 8, wherein the element is rotatable approximately 360 about the supporting end of the arm.
10. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claims 5 to 8, wherein the element is rotatable approximately 180 about the supporting end of the arm.

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11. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claims 5 to 10, wherein the arm is rotatable, approximately, 900 about the pivot axis.
12. A vehicle safety seat substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12... A vehicle safety seat as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the element comprises locking means operable to lock the element in either the first mode or the second mode.

13. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 12, wherein at least part of the locking means is disposed on the framework.

14. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 12 to 13, wherein the locking means comprises a locking pin operable to engage the arm and thereby secure the element in the desired mode of disposition.

15. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the locking pin comprises biassing means operable to bias the locking pin in a locking position.

16. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the biassing means comprises a spring.

17. A vehicle safety seat substantially as herein described with reference to, as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

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Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A vehicle safety seat comprising a frame supporting a seat element and a back element wherein at least one of the seat element and the back element has a first surface adapted to accommodate an adult and an opposing second surface adapted to accommodate a child and is mounted to the frame by an arm, which has a first end pivotably mounted on the frame and a second end onto which the said element is pivotably mounted so that in order to change between the respective adult-and child-accommodating surfaces said element can be raised from the frame by operating the pivotable arm, rotated thereon through approximately 180 , and replaced.

2. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second surface of the at least one element has a recess dimensioned to partially contain a child.

3. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the at least one element is mounted onto the arm by pivotal means comprising a collar, over which the end of the arm is mounted, a spindle, over which the collar is

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mounted to rotationally co-operate therewith, and fixing means for fixing the collar, the arm end, and the spindle, together.

4. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 3 wherein the pivotal mens includes stopping means operable to prevent rotation of the at least one element beyond a desired angular rotation.

5. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the element is rotatable approximately 360 about the second end of the arm.

6. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the arm is rotatable approximately 900 relative to the frame.

7. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one element comprises locking means operable to lock the element in either the first mode or the second mode.

8. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least part of the locking means is disposed on the frame.

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9. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the locking means comprises a locking pin operable to engage the arm and thereby secure the element in the desired mode of disposition.

10. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 9 wherein the locking pin comprises biassing means operable to bias the locking pin in a locking position.

11. A vehicle safety seat as claimed in claim 10 wherein the biassing means comprises a spring.