Non-handed mini-connector

Abstract

A connector for securing a child seat to a passenger seat. A web is connected to the child seat and the connector which has a pivoting lever engageable with the passenger seat anchor bight. The connector includes a web receiving bracket that extends from the bottom of the connector frame allowing access to a push button activating the lever from either side of the connector outer housing.

1 . A coupling for attaching a child seat with a web to an anchor member, the coupling comprising:
 a frame having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of said frame including a mouth having a notch with a seat configured to receive the anchor member, said frame including a pair of spaced apart side walls and a frame bottom wall with said bottom wall connecting together said side walls;   a lever movably and pivotally mounted to said frame to move rectilinearly thereto and located between said side walls and adjacent said bottom wall, said lever having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end including a finger and said proximal end including an engagement portion, said distal end of said lever extending beyond the seat of the notch in said frame, wherein said lever has a normally closed position prior to attachment to the anchor member with said finger substantially covering the mouth and an open position wherein said finger is substantially removed from the mouth;   a stop member provided on said frame configured to normally engage said engagement portion to resist the movement of said lever from said normally closed position to said open position;   a biasing member acting between said frame and said lever, said biasing member normally urging said stop member and said engagement portion into engagement; and,   a push button operatively connected to said lever and said stop member; and wherein said bottom wall of said frame extends outwardly of said push button and forms a web mounting bracket, said bracket includes a web receiver to secure a web thereto that is attached to a child seat, said web mounting bracket extending outwardly of said side walls allowing outward access to said push button from either side of said pair of spaced apart side walls.   
   
   
       2 . The coupling of  claim 1 , wherein applying a force to the push button moves the stop member and the engagement portion out of engagement. 
   
   
       3 . The coupling of  claim 2 , wherein said push button moves said stop member rectilinearly relative to said frame. 
   
   
       4 . The coupling of  claim 3 , wherein said proximal end of said lever further includes a camming portion, said stop member moving rectilinearly to abut said camming portion to pivot said lever to said open position when a force is applied to said push button. 
   
   
       5 . The coupling device of  claim 4 , wherein said frame is a monolithic structure, said web mounting bracket extending in a plane arranged generally perpendicularly to and extending between said side walls. 
   
   
       6 . The coupling device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a housing configured to receive and mount therein said frame, said lever, and said push button, said housing having a mouth configured to receive the anchor member, said housing includes a top wall, a housing bottom wall, and two side walls integrally connected together, said two side walls being parallel and located outwardly of said pair of spaced apart side walls, said housing bottom wall located adjacent and outwardly of said frame bottom wall, said housing bottom wall includes an extension located adjacent and extending with said web mounting bracket and includes an opening aligned with said web receiver which is an aperture allowing the web to be extended through said opening and said aperture connecting the child seat to the coupling in turn connectable to the anchor member.   
   
   
       7 . The combination of:
 an anchor member;   a child seat;   a web attached to said child seat;   a coupling to connect said web to said anchor member and thus said child seat to said anchor member comprising:   a frame having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of said frame including a mouth having a notch with a seat configured to receive said anchor member, said frame including a pair of spaced apart side walls and a frame bottom wall with said bottom wall connecting together said side walls;   a lever movably and pivotally mounted to said frame to move relative thereto and located between said side walls and adjacent said bottom wall, said lever having a lever proximal end and a lever distal end, said lever distal end including a finger and said lever proximal end including an engagement portion, said lever distal end extending beyond the seat of the notch in said frame, wherein said lever has a closed position substantially covering the mouth and an open position wherein said finger is substantially removed from the mouth;   a stop member provided on said frame configured to engage said engagement portion to resist the movement of said lever from said closed position to said open position;   a spring acting between said frame and said lever, said spring urging said stop member and said engagement portion into engagement; and,   a manipulator operatively connected to said lever and said stop member; and wherein:   said bottom wall of said frame extends outwardly of said manipulator and forms a web mounting bracket, said bracket includes a web receiver to secure said web thereto that is attached to said child seat, said web mounting bracket extending outwardly without blocking outward access to said manipulator from either side of said pair of spaced apart side walls.   
   
   
       8 . The coupling device of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a housing configured to receive and mount therein said frame, said lever, and said manipulator, said housing includes a mouth configured to receive said anchor member, said housing includes a top wall, a housing bottom wall, and two side walls integrally connected together, said two side walls being parallel and located outwardly of said pair of spaced apart side walls, said housing bottom wall located adjacent and outwardly of said frame bottom wall, said housing bottom wall includes an extension located adjacent and extending with said web mounting bracket and includes an opening aligned with said web receiver which is an aperture allowing said web to be extended through said opening and said aperture connecting said child seat to the coupling in turn connectable to said anchor member, said web mounting bracket extending in a plane arranged generally perpendicularly to and extending between said side walls.   
   
   
       9 . A coupling for attachment to an anchor member, the coupling comprising:
 a frame having a first side and an opposite second side and further having a distal end defining a mouth configured to receive an anchor member and further having a proximal end;   a lever having a lever plane and movably mounted to said frame between said first side and said second side and having an open position to allow the anchor member to be received within the mouth and a closed position to retain the anchor member within the mouth;   a stop member provided on said frame;   a biasing member urging the stop member and the lever into engagement such that said stop member resists movement of said lever from said closed position to said open position;   a push button operatively connected to said lever to move said lever between the closed and open positions; and,   a web receiving bracket extending outwardly of said push button allowing sideways and outward access to allow said push button to be pushed from both said first side and from said second side.   
   
   
       10 . The coupling of  claim 9  further comprising a web attached at one end to the web receiving bracket and at the other end to a child seat, said web receiving bracket extending in a plane generally perpendicular to said lever plane. 
   
   
       11 . The coupling of  claim 10  and further comprising:
 a housing configured to receive and mount therein said frame, said lever, and said push button, said housing includes a mouth configured to receive said anchor member, said housing includes a top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a pair of side walls integrally connected together, said pair of side walls being parallel and located outwardly of said first side and said second side, said housing bottom wall located adjacent and outwardly of said frame, said housing bottom wall includes an extension located adjacent and extending with said web receiving bracket and with said bracket and said extension including aligned openings allowing a web to be extended there through connecting the child seat to the coupling in turn connectable to the anchor member.   
   
   
       12 . The coupling of  claim 11  wherein said biasing member is a helical spring. 
   
   
       13 . The coupling of  claim 12  wherein said frame is a monolithic structure and said housing is a monolithic structure. 
   
   
       14 . The coupling of  claim 13  wherein said web receiving bracket is integrally connected to said first side said opposite second side of said frame. 
   
   
       15 . The coupling of  claim 14  wherein said lever is normally in a closed position prior to attachment to the anchor member. 
   
   
       16 . The coupling of  claim 15  wherein said frame includes a bottom wall extending between and integrally connected to said first side and said opposite side of said frame. 
   
   
       17 . The coupling of  claim 16  wherein said bracket is an extension of and coplanar with said bottom wall. 
   
   
       18 . The coupling of  claim 17  wherein said push button moves said stop member rectilinearly relative to said frame. 
   
   
       19 . The coupling of  claim 18  wherein applying a force to said push button moves the stop member and engagement portion out of engagement.