Belt positioner for juvenile booster seat

Abstract

A juvenile booster seat assembly is provided for use in a vehicle having a vehicle seat and a vehicle passenger restraint system. The booster seat comprises a base, a tether belt coupled to the base, and a shoulder belt positioner mounted for movement on a free end of the tether belt. The shoulder belt positioner is coupled to a shoulder belt included in the vehicle passenger restraint system and moved along the tether belt either to shorten or lengthen the effective length of the tether belt so as to control the position of the shoulder belt as it passes over the torso of a juvenile seated on the base.

1 . A juvenile booster seat assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle seat and a vehicle passenger restraint system, the booster seat comprising 
 a base adapted to set on a vehicle seat and formed to include a seating area adapted to support a juvenile seated thereon,    a tether belt coupled to the base, and    a shoulder belt positioner mounted for movement on the tether belt to adjust the position of a shoulder belt included in a vehicle passenger restraint system and coupled to the shoulder belt positioner relative to a torso of a juvenile seated on the base.    
     
     
         2 . The booster seat of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder belt positioner includes a clip formed to include a belt channel sized to receive a shoulder belt therein and an access channel opening into the belt channel to permit a user to pass a shoulder belt there through to insert a shoulder belt into the belt channel.  
     
     
         3 . The booster seat of  claim 2 , wherein the clip is C-shaped.  
     
     
         4 . The booster seat of  claim 2 , wherein the shoulder belt positioner further includes a clip position adjuster formed to include a slot receiving the tether belt there through and the clip is coupled to the clip position adjuster for movement therewith along the tether belt to a position selected by a user.  
     
     
         5 . The booster seat of  claim 1 , wherein the booster seat further comprises a first armrest coupled to one side of the base and a second armrest coupled to an opposite side of the base and the tether belt includes a middle portion arranged to engage the first armrest in a first operating position of the tether belt and to engage the second armrest in a second operating position of the tether belt.  
     
     
         6 . The booster seat of  claim 5 , wherein the base includes a rear end positioned to lie between the first and second armrests, an upper portion of the tether belt is coupled to the shoulder belt positioner, and a lower portion of the tether belt is coupled to the rear end of the base.  
     
     
         7 . The booster seat of  claim 6 , wherein each armrest includes an outer surface facing away from the rear end of the base and the middle portion lies between the upper and lower portions and engages the outer surface of one of the armrests.  
     
     
         8 . The booster seat of  claim 6 , wherein the lower portion of the tether belt is coupled to a center portion of the rear end positioned to lie about midway between the first and second armrests.  
     
     
         9 . The booster seat of  claim 5 , wherein each armrest includes an upstanding post and an arm portion cantilevered to the upstanding post and arranged to extend toward a forward edge of the base, and each upstanding post includes an outer side surface facing away from the seating area, an inner side surface facing toward the seating area, and a forwardly facing front side surface extending between the inner and outer side surfaces, the middle portion of the tether belt engages the outer side surface of the first armrest and passes over the forwardly facing front side surface of the first armrest upon movement of the tether belt to the first operating position, and the middle portion of the tether belt engages the outer side surface of the second armrest and passes over the forwardly facing front side surface of the second armrest upon movement of the tether belt to the second operating position.  
     
     
         10 . A juvenile booster seat assembly for use in a vehicle having a vehicle seat and a vehicle passenger restraint system the booster seat comprising 
 a base adapted to set on a vehicle seat and formed to include a seating area adapted to support a juvenile seated thereon,    a tether belt coupled to the base,    a shoulder belt connector adapted to be coupled to a shoulder belt included in a vehicle passenger restraint system associated with the base, and    means for moving the shoulder belt connector between selected positions on the tether belt to vary the position of the shoulder belt connector relative to the base when the shoulder belt connector is coupled to a shoulder belt included in a vehicle passenger restraint system associated with the base and arranged to restrain a juvenile seated on the base so that the shoulder belt connector is retained in a selected position on the tether belt to establish a desired position of the shoulder belt on a torso of a juvenile seated on the base.    
     
     
         11 . A juvenile booster seat assembly comprising 
 a base adapted to set on a vehicle seat and formed to include a seating area adapted to support a juvenile seated thereon,    a shoulder belt positioned to lie above the seating area of the base,    a tether belt coupled to the base, and    a shoulder belt positioner coupled to the shoulder belt and mounted for movement on a free end of the tether belt to shorten and lengthen an effective length of the tether belt so as to control the position of the shoulder belt as it passes over the torso of a juvenile seated on the seating area of the base and under the shoulder belt.    
     
     
         12 . The booster seat of  claim 11 , wherein the base includes a rear end wall, a lower portion of the tether belt is coupled to the rear end wall, and an upper portion of the tether belt carries the movable shoulder belt positioner.  
     
     
         13 . The booster seat of  claim 12 , further comprising an armrest coupled to each of left and right sides of the base and the tether belt includes a middle portion located between the lower and upper portions and arranged to wrap round a first of the armrests when the base is placed on one side of a vehicle seat and the tether belt is oriented in a first position with respect to the base and a second of the armrests when the base is placed on an opposite side of a vehicle seat and the tether belt is oriented in a second position with respect to the base.  
     
     
         14 . The booster seat of  claim 11 , wherein the shoulder belt positioner includes a clip formed to include a belt channel sized to receive a shoulder belt therein and an access channel opening into the belt channel to permit a user to pass a shoulder belt there through to insert a shoulder belt into the belt channel.  
     
     
         15 . The booster seat of  claim 14 , wherein the clip is C-shaped.  
     
     
         16 . The booster seat of  claim 14 , wherein the shoulder belt positioner further includes a clip position adjuster formed to include a slot receiving the tether belt there through and the clip is coupled to the clip position adjuster for movement therewith along the tether belt to a position selected by a user.