Juvenile carrier with juvenile-restraint harness adjustment mechanism

Claim 2

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, the harness having a shoulder strap including two shoulder strap portions, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions of the juvenile-restraint harness, the harness-control panel being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion, a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the back surface of the back support portion and configured to include a pull-handle, a belt support bar coupled to thee pull-handle, a panel height locator coupled to the seat shell, and a handle bar coupled to the belt support bar and the harness-control panel and formed to include an aperture for slidably receiving the pull-handle therethrough, the belt support bar is configured to engage and disengage the panel height locator to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height, and the pull-handle is configured to move relative to the handle bar between a lock position where the belt support bar is engaged with the panel height locator and a release position where the belt support bar is disengaged from the panel height locator, and at least one spring coupled to the belt support bar and wherein the belt support bar is spring-biased toward the lock position by at least one spring.

Claim 3

The seat of claim 1 , wherein the belt support bar and the pull-handle are movable relative to the handle bar in order to position the pull-handle in the release position to allow the handle bar and harness-control panel to move relative to the bottom seat portion of the seat shell.

Claim 4

The seat of claim 1 , wherein the pull-handle moves in a generally horizontal direction away from and toward the back surface of the back support portion of the seat shell and is normally biased in the lock position toward the back support portion of the seat shell.

Claim 5

The seat of claim 3 , wherein the handle bar includes a guide channel for slidably receiving a portion of the belt support bar therethrough.

Claim 6

The seat of claim 2 , wherein the pull-handle includes an aperture for receiving the belt support bar therethrough.

Claim 7

The seat of claim 4 , wherein the panel height adjustment mechanism further includes a tension spring coupled at one end to a spring mount of the handle bar and at another end to the belt support bar.

Claim 8

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness including a shoulder strap having shoulder strap portions, the harness being coupled to the seat shell, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion and further being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the harness-control panel and configured to move between a lock position in order to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height with respect to the bottom portion of the seat shell and a release position in order to move the harness-control panel relative to the seat shell, the panel height adjustment mechanism includes at least one slot for receiving a shoulder strap portion, and means for moving the panel height adjustment mechanism from the normal lock position to the release position.

Claim 9

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness including a shoulder strap having shoulder strap portions, the harness being coupled to the seat shell, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion and further being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the harness-control panel and configured to move between a lock position in order to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height with respect to the bottom portion of the seat shell and a release position in order to move the harness-control panel relative to the seat shell, the panel height adjustment mechanism includes at least one slot for receiving a shoulder strap portion, and means for moving the panel height adjustment mechanism from the normal lock position to the release position.

Claim 10

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness including a shoulder strap having shoulder strap portions, the harness being coupled to the seat shell, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion and further being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the harness-control panel and configured to move between a lock position in order to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height with respect to the bottom portion of the seat shell and a release position in order to move the harness-control panel relative to the seat shell, and means for moving the panel height adjustment mechanism from the normal lock position to the release position, wherein the means includes a handle bar coupled to the harness-control panel, a pull-handle movable relative to the handle bar, and a belt support bar coupled to the pull-handle and the handle bar and normally biased to the lock position toward the back support portion of the shell, and wherein the pull-handle is movable in a direction away from the harness-control panel to move the belt support bar from the lock position to the release position.

Claim 11

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness including a shoulder strap having shoulder strap portions, the harness being coupled to the seat shell, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion and further being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the harness-control panel and configured to move between a lock position in order to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height with respect to the bottom portion of the seat shell and a release position in order to move the harness-control panel relative to the seat shell, and means for moving the panel height adjustment mechanism from the normal lock position to the release position, wherein the means includes a handle bar coupled to the harness-control panel, a pull-handle movable relative to the handle bar, and a belt support bar coupled to the pull-handle and the handle bar and normally biased to the lock position toward the back support portion of the shell, and wherein the pull-handle is movable in a direction away from the harness-control panel to move the belt support bar from the lock position to the release position.

Claim 12

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, the harness having a shoulder strap including two shoulder strap portions, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions of the juvenile-restraint harness, the harness-control panel being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the back surface of the back support portion and configured to include a pull-handle having a grip portion and a bar-mount portion coupled to the grip portion, a belt support bar coupled to the bar-mount portion of the pull-handle, and a panel height locator coupled to the seat shell, the belt support bar provided to engage and disengage the panel height locator to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height, the pull-handle configured to move between a lock position where the belt support bar is engaged with the panel height locator and a release position where the belt support bar is disengaged from the panel height locator, and the bar-mount portion of the pull-handle being a substantially horizontal member which is fixed to the grip portion of the pull-handle being a generally vertical member.

Claim 13

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, the harness having a shoulder strap including two shoulder strap portions, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions of the juvenile-restraint harness, the harness-control panel being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the back surface of the back support portion and configured to include a pull-handle having a grip portion and a bar-mount portion coupled to the grip portion, a belt support bar coupled to the bar-mount portion of the pull-handle, and a panel height locator coupled to the seat shell, the belt support bar provided to engage and disengage the panel height locator to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height, the pull-handle configured to move between a lock position where the belt support bar is engaged with the panel height locator and a release position where the belt support bar is disengaged from the panel height locator, and the bar-mount portion of the pull-handle being a substantially horizontal member which is fixed to the grip portion of the pull-handle being a generally vertical member.

Claim 14

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, the harness having a shoulder strap including two shoulder strap portions, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions of the juvenile-restraint harness, the harness-control panel being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the back surface of the back support portion and configured to include a pull-handle having a grip portion and a bar-mount portion coupled to the grip portion, a belt support bar coupled to the bar-mount portion of the pull-handle, and a panel height locator coupled to the seat shell, the belt support bar provided to engage and disengage the panel height locator to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height, the pull-handle provided to move between a lock position where the belt support bar is engaged with the panel height locator and a release position where the belt support bar is disengaged from the panel height locator, and the grip portion of the pull-handle includes a front wall, a rear wall spaced-apart from the front wall, and a middle wall coupled to and positioned between the front wall and the rear wall to cooperate with the front and rear walls to form a finger-receiving receptacle, and the adjustment mechanism including a thumb-support positioned above the pull-handle and provided for the support of a user's thumb when the pull-handle is being moved from the lock position to the release position.

Claim 15

A juvenile seat comprising a seat shell including a bottom seat portion and a back support portion, the back support portion having a front surface and a back surface, a juvenile-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, the harness having a shoulder strap including two shoulder strap portions, a harness-control panel configured to position the shoulder strap portions of the juvenile-restraint harness, the harness-control panel being mounted on the seat shell for movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder strap portions with respect to the bottom seat portion, the harness-control panel being positioned adjacent the front surface of the back support portion, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the back surface of the back support portion and configured to include a pull-handle having a grip portion and a bar-mount portion coupled to the grip portion, a belt support bar coupled to the bar-mount portion of the pull-handle, and a panel height locator coupled to the seat shell, the belt support bar provided to engage and disengage the panel height locator to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height, the pull-handle provided to move between a lock position where the belt support bar is engaged with the panel height locator and a release position where the belt support bar is disengaged from the panel height locator, and the grip portion of the pull-handle includes a front wall, a rear wall spaced-apart from the front wall, and a middle wall coupled to and positioned between the front wall and the rear wall to cooperate with the front and rear walls to form a finger-receiving receptacle, and the adjustment mechanism including a thumb-support positioned above the pull-handle and provided for the support of a user's thumb when the pull-handle is being moved from the lock position to the release position.