Child's Car Seat Harness Storage System

Abstract

This invention relates to a child's car seat which may be used with or without an internal harness system, and, more specifically relates to a car seat with a means to store the internal harness system of the car seat when the car seat is being used without the harness system.

1 . A car seat with internal storage for a 5-point harness system which comprises:
 a seating surface having a first opening sized to accommodate at least a crotch belt, said crotch belt having a buckle at an end, and a pair of second openings for a left and right harness belt, said pair of second openings sized to permit ingress and egress of at least a portion of one end of said harness belt and a latch plate slidably affixed to each of said left and right harness belts;   a back surface having a pair of openings, each sized to accommodate one opposed end of said left and a right harness belts, said back surface having a depressed transverse region across said back surface with a pair of openings at each side of said depressed region of said back surface dimensioned to accommodate a vehicle seat belt therethrough; and   said seating surface having a pair of opposed first guide means, each first guide means accepting one of said harness belts.   
   
   
       2 . The seat of  claim 1  wherein
 said seating surface has a third opening dimensioned to accommodate said crotch belt buckle and at least a portion of said crotch belt for storage.   
   
   
       3 . The seat of  claim 1  wherein said seat further comprises
 a pair of opposed second guide means interposed between said pair of first guide means on said seat surface and said back surface pair of openings, each pair of second guide means accepting one of said harness belts.   
   
   
       4 . The seat of  claim 1  wherein
 each of said first guide means is a U-shaped slot.   
   
   
       5 . The seat of  claim 3  wherein
 each of said second guide means is a U-shaped slot.   
   
   
       6 . The seat of  claim 3  wherein
 each of said first guide means is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of said seat.   
   
   
       7 . The seat of  claim 6  wherein
 said angle of said pair of first guide means is between approximately 30° and 60° to a longitudinal axis of said car seat; and   said angle of said pair of second guide means is approximately 90° to said longitudinal axis.   
   
   
       8 . The seat of  claim 1  wherein
 said depressed transverse region accommodates a harness tie when said 5-point harness system is stored.   
   
   
       9 . A process for storing a car seat harness system, said car seat having a seating surface, a back surface, a pair of left and right side surfaces, and an internal 5-point harness system wherein said harness system is stored when not in use without removing any components from said car seat and wherein said storage is achieved by the steps of:
 feeding a combination lap/shoulder belt under a first slotted and angled tab;   folding said belt over said tab; and   feeding said belt under a second slotted tab positioned transversely to a longitudinal axis of said car seat.   
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 9  which further comprises the step of
 feeding a crotch strap with a buckle through an opening in said seating surface.   
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 10  which further comprises the step of
 feeding each slidable latch plate affixed to each of said lap/shoulder belts through a pair of openings in said seating surface.   
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 9  wherein said 5-point harness is equipped with a movable harness tie affixed to said lap/shoulder belts and wherein said process further comprises the step of
 moving said harness tie into a recessed transverse area disposed within said back surface of said seat.   
   
   
       13 . A car seat with internal storage for a 5-point harness system which comprises:
 a seating surface having a first opening sized to accommodate a crotch belt, said crotch belt having a buckle at an end, and a pair of second openings for a left and right belt, said pair of second openings sized to permit ingress and egress of at least a portion of one end of said harness belt and a latch plate slidably affixed to each of said left and right harness belts;   a back surface having a pair of openings, each sized to accommodate one opposed end of said left and a right harness belts, said back surface having a depressed transverse region across said back surface with a pair of openings at each side of said depressed region of said back surface dimensioned to accommodate a vehicle seat belt therethrough;   said seating surface having a third opening dimensioned to accommodate said crotch belt buckle and at least a portion of said crotch belt for storage;   said seating surface having a pair of opposed first guide means, each first guide means accepting one of said harness belts; and   said seating surface having a pair of opposed second guide means interposed between said pair of first guide means on said seat surface and said back surface pair of openings, each second guide means accepting one of said harness belts.   
   
   
       14 . The seat of  claim 13  wherein
 each of said first guide means is a U-shaped slot about a tongue positioned within said guide means.   
   
   
       15 . The seat of  claim 14  wherein
 each of said first guide means is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of said seat.   
   
   
       16 . The seat of  claim 15  wherein
 said angle of said pair of first guide means is between approximately 30° and 60° to a longitudinal axis of said car seat; and   said angle of said pair of second guide means is approximately 90° to said longitudinal axis.   
   
   
       17 . The seat of  claim 13  wherein
 said depressed transverse region accommodates a harness tie when said 5-point harness system is stored.   
   
   
       18 . A car seat with internal storage for a 5-point harness system which comprises:
 a seating surface having a first opening sized to accommodate a crotch belt and a crotch belt buckle affixed to one end of said crotch belt, and a pair of second openings for a left and right belt, said pair of second openings sized to permit ingress and egress of at least a portion of one end of said harness belt and a latch plate slidably affixed to each of said left and right harness belts;   a back surface having a pair of openings, each sized to accommodate one opposed end of said left and a right harness belts, said back surface having a depressed transverse region across said back surface with a pair of openings at each side of said depressed region of said back surface dimensioned to accommodate a vehicle seat belt therethrough; and   said seating surface having a pair of opposed first guide means, each first guide means accepting one of said harness belts.   
   
   
       19 . The seat of  claim 18  wherein said seat further comprises
 a pair of opposed second guide means interposed between said pair of first guide means on said seat surface and said back surface pair of openings, each pair of second guide means accepting one of said harness belts.   
   
   
       20 . The seat of  claim 18  wherein
 each of said first guide means is a U-shaped slot.   
   
   
       21 . The seat of  claim 19  wherein
 each of said second guide means is a U-shaped slo.   
   
   
       22 . The seat of  claim 18  wherein
 each of said first guide means is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of said seat.   
   
   
       23 . The seat of  claim 22  wherein
 said angle of said pair of first guide means is between approximately 30° and 60° to a longitudinal axis of said car seat; and   said angle of said pair of second guide means is approximately 90° to said longitudinal axis.   
   
   
       24 . The seat of  claim 18  wherein
 said depressed transverse region accommodates a harness tie when said 5-point harness system is stored.