Vehicle car bed for infants

Claim 1

An infant car bed for use on a vehicle seat comprising a walled enclosure open at its upper end to permit positioning of an infant therein and including a generally rigid, shaperetaining frame on which the walls of the enclosure are supported, said enclosure having a bottom wall on which an infant is adapted to be supported in an reclined position extending lengthwise thereof, an end wall at each end of the enclosure and a side wall extending between said end walls and connected at its lower end with said bottom wall, said frame including generally rigid top, bottom and rear portions, said frame portions being rigidly connected together so as to be generally immovable relative to one another in the event of sudden deceleration of the vehicle, at least the upper portion of said side wall being connected directly to said top frame portion so that it is constrained to move bodily therewith, said car bed being adapted to be positioned on a vehicle seat extending transversely of the direction of travel of the vehicle with said bottom frame portion positioned on the vehicle seat cushion, the rear frame portion positioned against the seat back and said side wall facing forwardly to thereby limit the forward displacement of an infant relative to the vehicle in the event of sudden deceleration of the vehicle, attachment means on said frame connected with upwardly and forwardly extending restraining belt means anchored on the vehicle for securing the car bed on the vehicle seat as described, said attachment means being connected with said frame at a location spaced above the center of gravity of the car bed as a whole with an infant therein so that upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle the force exerted by said restraining belt means on the connection between the attachment means and said frame extends along a line which passes above the center of gravity of the infant-occupied car bed whereby, upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the frame and the enclosure tend to rotatably skid as a unit on a seat cushion about said center of gravity as an axis while the latter is displaced forwardly and thereby tilting said frame and enclosure in a direction such that the bottom wall and the bottom frame portions are displaced forwardly in an arcuate path to a position inclined forwardly and upwardly while said forwardly facing wall and the adjacent top frame portion are simultaneously displaced in an arcuate path to a position where the forwardly facing wall is inclined upwardly and rearwardly and said connection between the attachment means and frame moves rearwardly relative to the path of travel of said center of gravity whereby the infant within the enclosure revolves upwardly and forwardly with said frame and said bottom and side walls as they tilt in the manner described.