Rolling car seat

Abstract

A rolling car seat includes a car seat having back and seat portions configured to receive a seated child. A length-adjustable handle assembly is operatively coupled to the back portion and selectively movable between a retracted configuration not extending above a back portion upper end and an extended configuration extending above the back portion upper end. The rolling car seat includes a wheel assembly having a pair of spaced apart wheels operatively coupled to said the back portion and selectively movable between a withdrawn configuration adjacent said back portion rear surface and a deployed configuration displaced from the back portion rear surface.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rolling car seat, comprises:
 a car seat having a back portion having upper and lower ends and a seat portion extending forwardly from said back portion lower end, said back portion and seat portion configured to receive an infant in a sitting position; 
 wherein said back portion includes a rear surface; 
 a handle assembly operatively coupled to said back portion and selectively movable between a retracted configuration not extending above said back portion upper end and an extended configuration extending above said back portion upper end; 
 a wheel assembly having a pair of spaced apart wheels operatively coupled to said back portion and selectively movable between a withdrawn configuration adjacent said back portion rear surface and a deployed configuration displaced from said back portion rear surface; 
 wherein:
 said back portion defines a recessed area, said wheel assembly being substantially inside said recessed area at said withdrawn configuration and being substantially outside said recessed area at said deployed configuration; 
 said back portion defines opposed handle channels extending substantially between said back portion upper end and said back portion lower end, each handle channels being configured to slidably receive said handle assembly; 
 said handle assembly includes:
 a plurality of handle members having a telescopic configuration so as to move between said retracted and said extended configurations; and 
 a handle bar extending between upper ends of respective handle member by which said plurality of handle members are selectively urged by a user between said retracted and said extended configurations; 
 
 said wheel assembly includes a mounting member pivotally coupled to said back portion of said car seat and operatively coupled to a respective wheel of said pair of wheels so as to operatively connect said pair of wheels to said car seat; and 
 a pivotal movement of said mounting member selectively causes said pair of wheels to move between said withdrawn and said deployed configurations; 
 said back portion of said car seat defines an interlink channel that communicates said recessed area with a respective handle channel, said interlink channel having upper and lower ends; 
 said mounting member includes a retraction pin extending away from an outer surface thereof, said retraction pin configured to extend through said interlink channel into said handle channel; 
 said retraction member being urged toward said interlink channel upper end when said mounting member is pivoted to move said pair of wheels to said deployed configuration; and 
 said retraction member being urged toward said interlink channel lower end when said mounting member is pivoted to move said pair of wheels to said withdrawn configuration. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The car seat as in  claim 1 , further comprising a footrest operatively coupled to said seat portion and slidably movable between an inward configuration positioned inside said seat portion and an outward configuration extending forwardly away from said seat portion. 
     
     
       3. The car seat as in  claim 2 , wherein said footrest is substantially inside said seat portion at said inward configuration and is substantially outside said seat portion at said outward configuration. 
     
     
       4. The car seat as in  claim 1 , wherein said wheel assembly is at said withdrawn configuration when said handle assembly is at said retracted configuration. 
     
     
       5. The car seat as in  claim 1 , wherein said wheel assembly is moved automatically to said withdrawn configuration when said handle assembly is moved to said retracted configuration. 
     
     
       6. The car seat as in  claim 1 , wherein:
 a lowermost handle member of said handle assembly is fixed in position in said handle channel; 
 said retraction pin is adjacent a bottom end of said lowermost handle member when said mounting member is pivoted to move said pair of wheels to said deployed configuration; and 
 said retraction pin a displaced from said bottom end of said lowermost handle member when said mounting member is pivoted to move said pair of wheels to said withdrawn configuration. 
 
     
     
       7. The car seat as in  claim 6 , wherein:
 said outermost handle member of said handle assembly defines an aperture adjacent said bottom end thereof; 
 said wheel assembly includes a locking spring pin extending through said mounting member and through said interlink channel into said handle channel; and 
 said locking spring pin is configured to register with said aperture in said outermost handle member when said retraction pin is adjacent said bottom end of said outermost handle member so as to lock said wheel assembly at said deployed configuration. 
 
     
     
       8. The car seat as in  claim 7 , wherein said locking spring pin is released from said aperture when an inner handle member is moved downwardly below said bottom end as said handle assembly is moved to said retracted configuration. 
     
     
       9. The car seat as in  claim 1 , wherein an inner handle member situated in said outermost handle member selectively urges said retraction pin toward said interlink channel lower end when said handle assembly is moved toward said retracted configuration so as to move said wheel assembly toward said withdrawn configuration. 
     
     
       10. The car seat as in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of handle members are slidable relative to one another in a generally friction fit arrangement. 
     
     
       11. The car seat as in  claim 1 , wherein said pair of wheels are axially coupled to respective mounting members so that said pair of wheels are free to rotate. 
     
     
       12. The car seat as in  claim 1 , further comprising a padded material situated on front surfaces of said back portion and said seat portion, respectively.