Granted Patent B2

US 7,648,199 · App. 12/241,383 · Granted Jan 19, 2010

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. An energy absorbing tether assembly for use with a child safety seat having a plastic shell with a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion, for restraining the child safety seat to a vehicle seat to which it is tethered by the tether assembly, the assembly comprising:

(a) a first length of webbing for routing through an adjuster on a front side of the seat back of the shell;

(b) a second length of webbing fixed to the adjuster;

(c) a first web-retaining slide positioned on the first length of webbing and residing in a first recess surrounding a first slot in the seat back portion of the shell;

(d) a second web-retaining slide positioned on the second length of webbing and residing in a second recess surrounding a second slot laterally spaced-apart from the first slot;

(e) a first line of stitching extending through and forming a doubled, folded segment of the first length of webbing on the front side of the shell;

(f) a second line of stitching extending through and forming a doubled, folded segment of the second length of webbing on the front side of the shell;

(g) a hook attached to the webbing for tethering the child safety seat to the vehicle seat; and

(h) the first and second lines of stitching on the respective first and second lengths of webbing adapted to break during a forward vehicle impact to increase the first and second lengths of webbing at a controlled rate as the first and second lines of stitching break to thereby reduce forces on the first and second lengths of webbing and on a safety seat occupant.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second web-retaining slides are three bar slides.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second web-retaining slides are larger than the first and second slots.

4. A tether assembly according to claim 1 wherein one of the first or second lines of stitching define slack loops on the front side of the shell.

5. A child safety seat having an energy absorbing tether assembly for restraining the child safety seat to a vehicle seat to which it is tethered by the tether assembly, the child safety seat comprising:

(a) a plastic shell with a seat bottom portion and a seat back portion;

(b) a first length of webbing for routing through an adjuster on a front side of the seat back of the shell;

(c) a second length of webbing fixed to the adjuster;

(d) a first web-retaining slide positioned on the first length of webbing and residing in a first recess surrounding a first slot in the seat back portion of the shell;

(e) a second web-retaining slide positioned on the second length of webbing and residing in a second recess surrounding a second slot laterally spaced-apart from the first slot;

(f) a first line of stitching extending through and forming a doubled, folded segment of the first length of webbing on the front side of the shell;

(g) a second line of stitching extending through and forming a doubled, folded segment of the second length of webbing on the front side of the shell;

(h) a hook attached to the webbing for tethering the child safety seat to the vehicle seat; and

(i) the first and second lines of stitching on the respective first and second lengths of webbing adapted to break during a forward vehicle impact to increase the first and second lengths of webbing at a controlled rate as the first and second lines of stitching break to thereby reduce forces on the first and second lengths of webbing and on a safety seat occupant.

6. The child safety seat according to claim 5 wherein the first and second web-retaining slides are three bar slides.

7. The child safety seat according to claim 5 wherein the first and second web-retaining slides are larger than the first and second slots.

8. The child safety seat according to claim 5 wherein one of the first or second lines of stitching define slack loops on the front side of the shell.

Assignments (10)