Infant car seat

Safe restraint of infants during automobile transport is of utmost importance, principally because they are relatively defenseless to injury in the event of a collision. It is widely recognized that infants can not be safely transported within an automobile while held in an adult’s arms because the acceleration and deceleration forces generated during emergency stops and during accidents are too great for even a very strong adult and cause the infant to be crushed between the adult’s body and the dashboard of the automobile. Because of the large number of automobile accidents in which infants are seriously wounded or killed, many safety experts recommend that infants travelling in automobiles be placed in specially designed infant car seats. These seats are designed to protect the infant by reducing the possibility of injury in the event of a traffic accident. The infant car seats are provided with a structure which enables the infant seat to be affixed to the seat of a vehicle. Car seats providing comfort and security to infants and small children have consequently been made mandatory by state and federal laws. A variety of car seats for infants have been devised for the purpose of strapping the infant in to prevent the infant from squirming or being bounced out of the seat during the motion of the car. The driver thereby gains peace of mind as to the infant’s safety and can direct full attention to the road. Infant carriers are designed to meet National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety and compliance tests. NHTSA standards require the infant carriers to be structurally sturdy and bulky to withstand a severe crash test pulse.

Infant car seats are commonly used to conveniently and safely seat and transport infants and small children. A typical infant car seat is secured to a vehicle such as an automobile with the automobile seat belt. Infant car seat systems include various other elements that can be used in connection with the car seat, such as strollers and car seat bases for supporting the car seat on the seat of a vehicle. n a typical arrangement, a pair of belts fastened to an appropriate upper portion of the infant seat are connected together at one end to a tongue. The tongue mates with a buckle which is attached to another belt, which in turn, is secured to a lower portion of the seat. Infant car seats comprise a leg support portion and a back support portion, which usually form an integral unit, which are connected or merge together at the base of the back support portion. At the transition region between the two portions the seat usually has a relatively sharp curvature, that is to say a small radius of curvature. Straps, which can be fastened around the infant, are provided to retain the infant in the seat. In the event of an accident, the movement of the infant is severely restricted, such that the possibility of the infant flying through the windshield or smashing against the dashboard is greatly reduced.

Car seats generally comprise a molded plastic seat shell having a seat back for supporting the infant and a U-shaped handle that extends across the seat shell for carrying the seat shell. Attachment of the car seat base to the vehicle seat is typically accomplished by routing the vehicle seat belt through various slots in the base. Some car seat systems include strollers to which the car seat can be connected. Such strollers typically include a bar that extends across the frame of the stroller to support the car seat. Some existing car seat bases include adjustment mechanisms to allow adjustment of the angular orientation of the car seat when the car seat is situated on the base. During transport in the vehicle, the car seat is secured in the base and the infant is transported in the car seat. When the infant is not being transported in the vehicle, the car seat can be removed from the base and hand-carried with the infant strapped therein, as desired. A lock mechanism is typically provided at the ends of the handle to lock the handle in various rotational positions relative to the seat shell. Generally, the handle is locked in place above the seat shell when the car seat is being carried. Rear-facing infant car seats generally include a base that can be secured to a vehicle seat and an infant carrier detachably coupled to the base. A reclined rear-facing infant car seat that is particularly suited for a newborn may be uninteresting for a growing infant.

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May 27, 2008 | Filed Under Baby carrier