Retainer and wire rod for child seat attachment

Abstract

Wire rods used as child safety seat anchorages are mechanically attached to seat component, e.g., to a recliner mechanism or other seat frame element. The wire rods may also be spot welded or otherwise coupled to the mechanism, primarily for the purpose of positioning the wire rod at the prescribed location within a vehicle so that hooks or other connectors from a child seat can be attached thereto. Tabs on a retainer plate hold the wire rod against the recliner mechanism and cause the wire rod to rotate with the seat back, when adjusted by the recliner mechanism, and a rivet mechanically attaches the retainer plate and wire rod to the recliner mechanism.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An anchorage system for holding an article to a vehicle seat, the vehicle seat having a coupling location, the anchorage system comprising: 
 a wire rod having a connection portion adapted to receive coupling device from the article;    a retainer capturing the wire rod; and    a fastener extending through the retainer and mechanically attaching the retainer and rod to the vehicle seat at the coupling location.    
     
     
         2 . The anchorage system of  claim 1 , wherein the wire rod further includes two legs extending from the connection portion, each leg of the two legs including a bent portion and a curled end.  
     
     
         3 . The anchorage system of  claim 2 , wherein the two legs extending from the connection portion extend substantially perpendicularly from the connection portion.  
     
     
         4 . The anchorage system of  claim 2 , wherein the legs each include a 90 bend and the bent portion is located between the 90 bend and the curled end.  
     
     
         5 . The anchorage system of  claim 3 , wherein the retainer includes a plate having an aperture therein.  
     
     
         6 . The anchorage system of  claim 5 , wherein the retainer includes a collar extending from at least one side thereof, the collar defining the aperture.  
     
     
         7 . The anchorage system of  claim 2 , wherein the retainer includes a plate having an aperture therein.  
     
     
         8 . The anchorage system of  claim 7 , wherein the retainer includes a collar defining the aperture.  
     
     
         9 . The anchorage system of  claim 8 , wherein the fastener is a rivet.  
     
     
         10 . The anchorage system of  claim 4 , wherein the retainer includes a plate having an aperture therein.  
     
     
         11 . The anchorage system of  claim 10 , wherein the retainer includes a collar defining the aperture.  
     
     
         12 . The anchorage system of  claim 11 , wherein the retainer includes a pair of tabs extending from the plate and each tab of the pair of tabs is respectively arranged to capture one bent portion of the wire rod between the tab and the collar.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the plate includes a third tab and the coupling location of the seat includes a slot arranged to receive the third tab.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the coupling location is a seat recliner mechanism for moving a seat back to be folded onto a seat cushion, the recliner mechanism including a component which moves with the seat back, and the slot being located in the component.  
     
     
         15 . An anchorage system for coupling a wire rod anchorage to a seat recliner mechanism of a vehicle seat having a seat back, the anchorage system comprising a wire rod having an attachment portion arranged for receiving a coupling device from a child safety seat, the attachment portion being elongated and generally coplanar with and spaced from the seat back, wherein the wire rod further has a leg extending from an end of the attachment portion, the leg has a first portion extending to the seat recliner mechanism and a second portion bent from the first portion, the leg further has a capture portion extending from the second portion, the capture portion being aligned for engagement with the seat recliner mechanism and terminating in an end, the anchorage system further including a retainer for holding the capture portion of the leg against the seat recliner mechanism.  
     
     
         16 . The anchorage system of  claim 15 , wherein the retainer includes a plate having a tab extending from the periphery thereof and a central circular collar and the capture portion of the leg is located between the collar and the tab.  
     
     
         17 . The anchorage system of  claim 16  further comprising a fastener extending through the collar to attach the retainer to the seat recliner mechanism.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the fastener is a rivet.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the retainer includes a third tab extending from the plate and wherein a slot is located in the vehicle seat and the third tab is located in the slot to cause the retainer and wire rod to rotate with the seat back of the vehicle seat.  
     
     
         20 . An anchorage system for use in connecting a child safety seat to a vehicle seat, the vehicle seat including a seat back, a seat base, a recliner mechanism for moving the seat back with respect to the seat base and a bite line defined by the seat back and seat base, the anchorage system comprising a wire rod having an elongated attachment portion being generally aligned with the seat back, wherein the wire rod further has a leg extending from an end of the attachment portion, the leg has a capture portion aligned for engagement with the recliner mechanism and a retainer for attaching the capture portion of the leg against the recliner mechanism.