Graco Children's Products, Inc.

Daniel J Brunick

Thomas Jake Mitchell

Andrew Phillip Kitchens

Charles E Crane

David Hotard

Bruce L Williams

Craig Weber

William Conway

Craig Billman

Michael N Langmaid

Nicholas James Lombardi

Neil C Penza

Drew Kitchens

Ira Rubien

Patrick Bryan Nolan

Patrick William Laffan

Nicholas Henry Reaves

Damaso A Lamos

Matthew Alan Morgenstern

Brian Allen

Andrew P Skrzypek

Jake Mitchell

William Doolan

A rotatable child safety seat can include a seat shell for receiving a child therein. a rotating pedestal, and a seat base. The pedestal and seat shell can rotate with respect to the seat base. The pedestal can include a locking pin and the seat base can include a multitude of pin receiving apertures that allow a user to rotate the seat shell and pedestal in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction at a number of different angles or positions. The child safety seat can also include two separate seat belt/LATCH tether pathways. One seat belt/LATCH tether pathway can be provided on the seat back of the seal shell and can be used when the child safety seat is in a forward-facing configuration and the other seat belt/LATCH tether pathway can be provided in the seat base and used when in a rearward-facing configuration.

Method and apparatus for a rotatable child safety seat

A rotatable child safety seat can include a seat shell for receiving a child therein, a rotating pedestal, and a seat base. The pedestal and seat shell can rotate with respect to the seat base. The pedestal can include a locking pin and the seat base can include a multitude of pin receiving apertures that allow a user to rotate the seat shell and pedestal in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction at a number of different angles or positions. The child safety seat can also include two separate seat belt/LATCH tether pathways. One seat belt/LATCH tether pathway can be provided on the seat back of the seat shell and can be used when the child safety seat is in a forward-facing configuration and the other seat belt/LATCH tether pathway can be provided in the seat base and used when in a rearward-facing configuration.

A car seat may include a seat shell configured for supporting a child thereon, a base supporting the seat shell, and a support frame positioned at least partially within the seat shell and/or the base and configured to manage energy during a crash event. The support frame may include a first frame portion and a second frame portion attached to the first frame portion. The first frame portion may include a first side support and a second side support spaced apart from one another, and the second frame portion may include a first side support and a second side support spaced apart from one another. A stiffness of each of the first side support and the second side support of the second frame portion may be different than a stiffness of each of the first side support and the second side support of the first frame portion.

Car seat with energy managing frame

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.

Harness tightening system for car seats

A child safety seat has a seat bottom, a seat back coupled to the seat bottom at a seat bight region, and a seating surface defined by the seat bottom and seat back to support a child occupant. A structural element is coupled to the seat bottom, the seat back, or both. A bumper has a substantially rigid component or portion and is mounted to the structural element and protrudes from a side of the child safety seat. The bumper is positioned to redirect energy from a side impact with the child safety seat away from the seat back, the seat bottom, or both and to the structural element.

Child safety seat with side impact energy redirection

A child safety seat has a seat shell with a seat back portion, a seat bottom portion, and a seating surface. A track is provided on the child safety seat. A slot has a slot length along the track and a slot width defined between two parts of the track. An anchor strap has a belt, two anchoring connectors coupled to and spaced apart along the belt, and a central section between the two anchoring connectors. The central section has a thickness less than the slot width and captured in the slot between the two parts of the track. The two anchoring connectors are sized larger than the slot width thereby preventing removal of the anchor strap from the child safety seat. The anchor strap can slide along the slot length between at least a forward facing anchor position and a rear facing anchor position on the seat shell.

Anchor latch assembly for child restraint system

A child seat assembly has a base to rest on a vehicle seat, a seat shell, and a recline mechanism that selectively permits adjustment of the seat shell between first and second recline positions and includes a recline positioner, pin, biasing element, and handle. The recline positioner has first and second portions defining the first and second recline positions, respectively. The pin is movable between a released position and an engaged position in which the pin is configured to engage the first or second portion to retain the seat shell in the corresponding first or second recline position. The biasing element is coupled to the pin and configured to bias the pin to the engaged position. The handle is operable to move the pin from the engaged position to the released position in which the seat shell is movable between the first and second recline positions.

Reclinable child seat assembly

A child safety seat has a seat back and a seat harness with a pair of shoulder straps. Each shoulder strap has a strap portion positioned forward of and extending along a front facing side of the seat back. A headrest is coupled to the seat near an upper end of the seat back. The vertical position of the headrest is selectively adjustable relative to the seat back between a raised position and a lowered position. A strap router is provided on the seat back and maintained at a fixed elevation relative to the seat back as the vertical position of the headrest is adjusted and directs the shoulder straps from a back side of the seat back toward the front facing side. The shoulder straps are directed under a bottom of the headrest. By selectively adjusting the vertical position of the headrest, the bottom of the headrest adjusts the vertical position of the shoulder straps on the front facing side of the seat back by increasing or decreasing the useable length of the strap portions.

Child safety seat with height adjustable harness

A child safety seat has a seat back () with an upper end (), a lower end, a back side, and a front side (). A harness () has a pair of shoulder straps () each having a portion positioned forward of and extending along the front side. A headrest () is coupled to the seat back near the upper end and has a bottom (). The vertical position of the headrest is selectively adjustable along the seat back between a raised and a lowered position. A strap router () on the seat back directs the shoulder straps from the back side toward the front side. The shoulder straps are directed under the bottom () of the headrest. By selectively adjusting the headrest vertical position, the bottom () of the headrest adjusts the vertical position of the shoulder straps on the front side of the seat back by increasing or decreasing the useable length.

A car seat is configured to rest on a vehicle seat and to support a child. The car seat has a shell with a front side, a rear side, a seat back end, a seat bottom end, and a seating surface with a seat back portion and a seat bottom portion. A first contact surface is defined on a part of the car seat facing generally opposite the seat bottom portion. Adapter bodies are carried on the car seat. Each adapter body defines a second contact surface and is movable between a stowed position in which the first contact surface is exposed and positioned to rest on the vehicle seat with the seating surface at a first incline and a deployed position in which second contact surfaces are exposed and positioned to rest on the vehicle seat with the seating surface at a second incline different than the first incline.

Car seat with convertible bottom

A car seat is configured to rest on a seat of a vehicle and to support a child, and the car seat has a shell with a front side and a rear side and a seating surface on the front side. A first contact surface is defined on a part of the car seat facing generally opposite the seating surface. The first contact surface is oriented to support the car seat with the seating surface at a first seat incline. One or more adapter bodies are carried on the car seat and movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The one or more adapter bodies each define a second contact surface. With the adapter bodies in the stowed position, the first contact surface is exposed to rest on the vehicle seat. With the adapter bodies in the deployed position, the one or more second contact surfaces are exposed and oriented to support the car seat with the seating surface at a second seat incline different than the first seat incline.

A car seat has a seat structure with a seating surface and a portion configured to rest on a dedicated seat of a vehicle when installed. The seat structure has a front and a pair of opposed sides. An instruction manual is provided with the car seat. The car seat has a compartment that is configured to receive and retain the instruction manual. The compartment is disposed interior to a part of the seat structure and has an access opening that is accessible when the car seat is installed.

Child vehicle safety seat

An adjustable child seat includes a backrest and a seat base. The backrest is adjustable and includes a top portion movably connected to a bottom portion. The back rest includes a latch connected to one of the top or bottom portions that engages a notch located in the other portion. A handle may be provided to disengage the latch from the notch and allow movement of the top portion of the backrest relative to the bottom portion.

Growing community of inventors

Birdsboro, PA, United States of America

Daniel J Brunick