Child safety seat for a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a child safety seat for a vehicle, where the child safety seat comprises a sitting section, a back section and a head section, the back section further being provided with side wings, and where the child safety seat further comprises at least one detachable side element, where each of the side elements are provided with a first interface for connection with a complementary interface provided on the child safety seat, and a possible second interface for connection with an energy absorbing element. The present invention also relates to a system and a method for installation of at least two child safety seats in a vehicle seat of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A child safety seat for a vehicle, the child safety seat comprising a sitting section, a back section and a head section, the back section being provided with side wings, wherein the child safety seat further comprises at least one detachable side element, where each detachable side element is provided with a first interface for connection with a complementary interface provided on the child safety seat, and a second interface for a connection with an energy absorbing element.

2. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the child safety seat comprises two Isofix connectors.

3. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the child safety seat is provided with at least one belt guiding structure for a seat belt portion of a seat belt.

4. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein each detachable side element, when connected to the child safety seat, covers at least a part of a side wing and the back section of the child safety seat.

5. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the detachable side element comprises a core of an energy absorbing material and a bottom part enveloped by a plastic material.

6. Child safety seat according to any one of the proceeding claims 1-5, wherein the first interface of the detachable side element comprises a plurality of apertures for fastenings means in the form of screws, bolts, nuts or the like.

7. Child safety seat according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of apertures are provided in an area towards one end, towards both ends, or over the whole length of the detachable side element.

8. Child safety seat according to any one of the proceeding claims 1-5, wherein the first interface of the detachable side element comprises at least one female connection in the form of a slit or groove, and where each of the first and second complementary interfaces on the child safety seat comprises at least one male connection in the form of a protrusion element.

9. Child safety seat according to any one of the proceeding claims 1-5, wherein the first interface of the detachable side element comprises at least one male connection in the form of a protrusion element, and where each of the first and second complementary interfaces on the child safety seat comprises at least one female connection in the form of a slit or groove.

10. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the second interface of the detachable side element comprises at least one female connection in the form of a slit or groove.

11. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the second interface of the detachable side element comprises at least one male connection in the form of a protrusion element.

12. Child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing element comprises a crushable material enveloped by a plastic material.

13. A system comprising at least two child safety seats for a vehicle, each child safety seat comprising a sitting section, a back section and a head section, the back section being provided with side wings, wherein the child safety seat further comprises at least one detachable side element, where each detachable side element is provided with a first interface for connection with a first or second complementary interface provided on the child safety seat, and a second interface.

14. System according to claim 13, wherein the system comprises a third child safety seat without the at least one detachable side element arranged between the two child safety seats.

15. A method for installation of at least two child safety seats in a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: arranging one child safety seat at each side of a back seat of a vehicle, detaching and removing a detachable side element on a side of the child safety seat facing the other child safety seat of at least one of the child safety seats, and fastening each child safety seat with Isofix connectors to anchorage points in the vehicle or with a seat belt of the vehicle.

16. A method for installation of at least two child safety seats in a vehicle according to claim 15, where the method further comprises the step of attaching an energy absorbing element to the detachable side element of each child safety seat facing a door of the vehicle.

17. A method for installation of at least two child safety seats according to any one of the proceeding claims 15-16, where the method further comprises the step of arranging a third child safety seat between the two child seats arranged at each side of the back seat of the vehicle.

Description

[0038] The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a child safety seat according to the present invention,

[0040] FIG. 2 shows in greater detail a part of the child safety seat according to FIG. 1,

[0041] FIGS. 3A-3B show a child safety seat according to FIG. 1 installed in a vehicle seat of a vehicle, while FIG. 3C shows in greater detail a part of the child safety seat according to FIG. 1,

[0042] FIGS. 4A-4C show how two child safety seats according to the present invention can be installed in a vehicle seat of a vehicle,

[0043] FIGS. 5A-5B show how an additional and third child safety seat according to the present invention can be installed in a vehicle seat of a vehicle,

[0044] FIGS. 6A-6B show a first embodiment of interfaces provided on a detachable side element and the child safety seat according to the present invention, where FIG. 6A is a perspective view from front and FIG. 6B is a perspective view from back, and

[0045] FIGS. 7A-7B show a second embodiment of interfaces provided on a detachable side element and the child safety seat according to the present invention, where FIG. 7A is a perspective view from front and FIG. 7B is a perspective view from back.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a child safety seat 1 according to the present invention, where it can be seen that the child safety seat 1 comprises a sitting section 2, a back section 3 and a head section 4. A side wing 5 is arranged on each side of the child safety seat 1, where each side wing 5 extends out from the back section 3 of the child safety seat 1, such that the side wings 5 provide a lateral protection and support for an upper body of a child seated in the child safety seat 1 in the event of a side collision of a vehicle (not shown).

[0047] The head section 4 is arranged to be adjustable in a height direction of the child safety seat 1, such that the child safety seat 1 can be adapted correctly to the size of the child. As a person skilled in the art would know how the head section 4 could be designed to be adjustable, this is not described any further herein.

[0048] A detachable element 6 is connected to each side of the child safety seat 1, when seen the child safety seat 1 from front, where each detachable side element is provided with a first interface 7 for connection with a complementary interface 8 provided on each side of the child safety seat 1.

[0049] The left figure shows how a detachable side element 6 is connected to each side of the child safety seat 1, the figure in the middle shows how the detachable element 6 on the left side of the child safety seat 1 is removed from the child safety seat 1 and the right figure shows that both the left and right detachable element 6 has been removed from the child safety seat 1.

[0050] Such a design or shape of the child safety seat 1 will allow a width of the child safety seat 1 to be reduced in certain cases, thereby allowing, for instance, two such child safety seats 1 to be installed in a vehicle seat of a vehicle and at the same time providing enough space between the two child safety seats 1, so that an adult person can sit between the child safety seats 1, or to allow an additional and third child safety seat 1 to be installed between the two child safety seats 1, as can be seen in FIGS. 4A-4C and/or FIGS. 5A-5B.

[0051] The first interface 7 provided on the detachable side element 6 may comprise a plurality of apertures for fastening means, where the fastening means may be in the form of screws, bolts, nuts, hooks, springs, snap fits or the like. A plurality of cooperating or corresponding apertures are then provided at the side wings 5 and the back of the child safety seat 1, in the groove or slit, whereby the detachable side element 6 can be connected to the child safety seat 1. A person skilled in the art would know that, instead of the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 being provided with a cooperating or corresponding plurality of apertures, the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 may be provided with a number of cooperating or corresponding male and female connectors in order to connect together the detachable side element and the child safety seat 1. Alternatively, the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 could be provided with both apertures and male or female connectors in order to ease the installation of the detachable side element 6.

[0052] The first interface 7 provided on the detachable side element 6 comprises a plurality of apertures in order to be able to be connected to the complementary interface 8 provided on each side of the child safety seat 1, whereby the detachable side element 6 can be connected and fixed to the child safety seat 1 by means of screws, bolts, nuts or the like. The child safety seat 1 is then provided with a corresponding number of apertures at the side wings 5 and the back of the child safety seat 1.

[0053] It could also be envisaged that the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 can be provided with a plurality of cooperating and corresponding male and female connectors in order to connect the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 together.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the detachable side element 6 is provided with at least one female connector in the form of a slit or groove, and the child safety seat 1 is provided with at least one corresponding male connector in the form of a protrusion element. Alternatively, the detachable side element 6 could be provided with at least one corresponding male connector, whereby the child safety seat 1 is provided with at least one corresponding female connector.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows an upper part of the child safety seat 1 according to FIG. 1, where the connection between the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 is shown in greater detail.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first interface 7 of the detachable side element 6 is in the form of at least one male connector, while the interface 8 of the child safety seat 1 is provided with a corresponding number of female connector(s) 8. As can be seen, both the left side and the right side of the child safety seat 1 is provided with the interface 8. This arrangement will allow either the left, the right or both the detachable side elements 6 to be detached and removed from the child safety seat 1, thus decreasing the width of the child safety seat 1. Similarly, the width of the child safety seat 1 may be increased by connecting and locking one or both of the detachable side elements 6 to the child safety seat 1.

[0057] However, a person skilled in the art would know that the first interface 7 of the detachable side element 6 can be in the form of a female connector, while the interface 8 of the child safety seat 1 then is provided with a corresponding male connector 8.

[0058] In FIG. 2 only the upper first interface 7 of the detachable side element 6 and the corresponding upper interfaces 8 of the child safety seat 1 are shown, but it should be understood that both the detachable side element 6 and the child safety seat 1 are provided with additional and not shown corresponding interfaces 7, 8, where the first interfaces 7 further are provided at the middle and at the lower part of the detachable side element 6, and where corresponding interfaces 8 are provided in the child safety seat 1.

[0059] FIGS. 3A-3B show how a single child safety seat 1 according to the present invention is installed in a vehicle seat S of a vehicle (not shown). The child safety seat 1 according to the present invention is fixed in the vehicle seat S by use of a vehicle safety belt B, where the vehicle safety belt B is guided through guiding grooves or slits provided in the child safety seat 1.

[0060] As only one child safety seat 1 is installed in the vehicle the detachable side elements 6 connected to the sides of the child safety seat 1 are not removed. Instead, an additional energy-absorbing element 9 is connected to the detachable side element 6 which is arranged on the right side of the child safety seat 1, in order to provide additional security in the event of a side collision with the vehicle. The additional energy-absorbing element 9 will then be arranged between a vehicle door (not shown) and the detachable side element 6.

[0061] The detachable side element 6 is then provided with a second interface 10 on an opposite side of the first interface 7, and the additional energy-absorbing element 9 is provided with a complementary interface 11 on a side facing the detachable side element 6.

[0062] The additional energy absorbing element 9 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3C, where it can be seen that the additional energy absorbing element 9 is provided, on the side that faces the detachable side element 6, when the two elements are to be connected to each other, with the complementary interface 11 in the form of at least one female connector, the female connector being a slit or groove, and the detachable side element 6 is provided with at least one corresponding male connector. Alternatively, the additional energy-absorbing element 9 could be provided with at least one male connector, whereby the detachable side element 6 then is provided with at least one corresponding female connector.

[0063] The additional energy-absorbing element 9 comprises then a core of an energy absorbing material, and is further enveloped by a plastic material. A person skilled in the art would know how such an energy-absorbing element 9 should be designed or formed, whereby this is not described any further herein.

[0064] As can be seen from FIGS. 3A-3C, the child safety seat 1 is, on each side of the child safety seat 1, provided with a groove or slit for reception of a detachable side element 6, where the groove or slit will extend from a back side of the child safety seat 1, around transition between the back section 3 and the side wing 5, further along at least a part of a longitudinal length of the side wing 5 and then back again, over the transition between the back section 3 and the side wing 5, to the back 3 of the child safety seat 1.

[0065] The detachable side element 6 will have a corresponding form.

[0066] Furthermore, the grooves or slits are arranged in such a way that, when the detachable side element 6 is connected to the child safety seat 1, the detachable side element 6 will not extend past or beyond the side wing 5.

[0067] FIGS. 4A-4C show how two child safety seats 1 according to the present invention can be installed in the vehicle seat S, in order to provide a space between the two child safety seats 1 for an adult person.

[0068] In FIG. 4A one child safety seat 1 is arranged and installed on opposite ends of the vehicle seat S, where an additional energy-absorbing element 9 is connected through its interface 11 to the second interface 10 of the detachable element 6, each of the additional energy-absorbing elements 9 being connected to the detachable side element 6 arranged on a side of the child safety seat 1 facing a vehicle door (not shown). Such an arrangement of the two child safety seats 1 will provide a space between the child safety seats leven though the detachable side elements 6 arranged on a side of the child safety seats 1 facing each other are not detached and removed from the child safety seat 1.

[0069] However, if this space between the two child safety seats 1 is not enough for an adult person to be seated between the child safety seats 1, one or both of the two detachable side elements 6 facing each other can be removed, as shown in FIG. 4B, thereby providing even more space between the two child safety seats 1, as removal of the detachable side elements 6 will result in that the space or distance between the child safety seats 1 is increased by the thickness or the width of the detachable side element(s) 6.

[0070] In FIG. 4C is shown a child safety seat 1 where each of the detachable side elements 6 are detached and removed away from the child safety seat.

[0071] However, it should be understood that the two child safety seats 1 also could be arranged and installed adjacent each other. The detachable side elements 6 facing each other could then be kept connected to their respective child safety seats 1, or one or both of the two detachable side elements 6 could be removed in order to provide more space in the vehicle seat for a person to be seated in the vehicle seat.

[0072] FIGS. 5A-5B show how three child safety seats can be arranged and installed in the vehicle seat S, where FIG. 5A shows how an additional and third child safety seat 1 can be arranged between the two child safety seats 1 as explained in accordance with FIG. 4B, as detachment and removal of the two detachable side elements 6 facing each other will provide enough space between the two child safety seats arranged on each side of the vehicle seat S for the additional and third child safety seat 1 to be arranged between these.

[0073] The additional and third child safety seat 1 may be installed in a forward-facing position, as shown in FIG. 5A, or in a rearward facing position, as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0074] FIGS. 6A-6B show, according to a first embodiment, how the detachable side elements 6 can be connected to the child safety seat 1, in a perspective view from front (FIG. 6A) and from back (FIG. 6B), where it can be seen that the detachable side element 6 is provided with a first interface 7 and the child safety seat 1 is provided with a complementary interface 8. The first interface 7 of the detachable side element 6 comprises a male connector 7 provided in an end area of each end of the detachable side element 6 and in an area at middle of the detachable side element 6, and where the child safety seat 1 is provided with a corresponding female connector at an upper and lower side of the back of the child safety seat 1 and a female connector in each of the side wings 3.

[0075] FIGS. 7A-7B show, according to a second embodiment, how the detachable side elements 6 can be connected to the child safety seat 1, in a perspective view from front (FIG. 7A) and from back (FIG. 7B), where it can be seen that the detachable side element 6 is provided with a first interface 7 and the child safety seat 1 is provided with a complementary interface 8. The first interface 7 of the detachable side element 6 comprises an aperture 7 provided in an end area of each end of the detachable side element 6 and in an area at middle of the detachable side element 6, and where the child safety seat 1 is provided with a corresponding aperture 8 at an upper and lower side of the back of the child safety seat 1 and an aperture 8 in each of the side wings 3. Screws 12 can then be used to connect the detachable side element and the child safety seat 1.

[0076] The invention has now been explained with different embodiments. Only elements related to the invention are described and a skilled person will understand that one may make several alterations and modifications to the described and shown embodiments that are within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.