Cable activated harness retractor for child seat

A retractor for use with a child seat having a harness and interengaged combination of a tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:

• a frame;
• a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
• a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
• a locking bar parallel to said axle and mounted to said frame to be movable between a normal removed position whereat said locking bar is located apart from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
• a cable having a first end attached to said locking bar and further having an opposite second end, said cable movable from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said removed position to a second position whereat said cable moves said locking bar to said locking position;
• actuator means mountable to a child seat adjacent the tongue comprising:
• a first wing and a second wing;
• a pivot pin, said wings being pivotally mounted on said pin, said pivot pin mountable to said child seat;
• and
• said actuator means connected to said second end of said cable, said actuator means including a movable member and operable upon movement of said movable member to move said cable to said second position, the buckle contacts said actuator means for moving said movable member to move and hold said cable is in said second position, said cable movable to said first position when said member is released.

A retractor for use with a child seat having a harness and an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:

• a frame including a pair of upstanding spaced apart arms;
• a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of the harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
• a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
• a locking bar mounted to and extending between said arms parallel to said axle and movable between a normal removed position whereat said locking bar is unlocked from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
• a second spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said locking bar to a removed position, said second spring is yieldable to allow said locking bar to move to said locking position;
• a locking device connected to said locking bar, said locking device having a first position whereat said locking bar is in said removed position, and a second position whereat said locking bar is in said locking position, said locking device is mounted to said child seat adjacent the tongue, wherein the buckle contacts said locking device and moves said locking device to said second position;
• said locking device comprising
• a first wing and a second wing;
• and
• a pivot pin, said wings being pivotally mounted on said pin, and said pivot pin is mounted to said child seat;
• and
• a cable extending between and connected to said locking device and said locking bar, said cable moves said locking bar to said locking position when said locking device moves to said second position.

A child seat harness for installation in an automobile comprising:

• a child seat configured to receive a child;
• a harness mounted to said child seat and extendable over the child to secure the child within said child seat;
• an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle mounted to said child seat and interlockable with said harness;
• at least one retractor, said retractor including a frame, a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame, a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat said harness is wrapped thereon, a locking bar mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is disengaged from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar positively engages said ratchet wheel thereby limiting said spool from rotating to said retracted position;
• at least one actuator means mounted to said child seat adjacent said tongue and connected to said locking bar, said actuator means being contactable by said buckle for moving said actuator means from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said removed position, to a second position whereat said actuator means moves said locking bar to and holds said locking bar in said locked position until released, said actuator means includes a first wing a second wing and a pivot pin, said wings are pivotally mounted on said pin and said pivot pin is mounted to said child seat, said actuator means including a cable means to move said locking bar;
• and
• said cable means extends from said actuator means to said locking bar and connects said actuator means and said locking bar, said cable means moves said locking bar to said locked position when said actuator means moves to said second position.

A child seat harness for installation in an automobile comprising:

• a child seat configured to receive a child;
• a harness mounted to said child seat and extendable over the child to secure the child within said child seat;
• an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle mounted to said child seat and interlockable with said harness, said tongue includes a pair of separable buckle tongues;
• a pair of retractors, each said retractors including a frame, a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame, a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat said harness is wrapped thereon, a locking bar mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is disengaged from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar positively engages said ratchet wheel thereby limiting said spool from rotating to said retracted position;
• and
• at least one actuator means mounted to said child seat and connected to said locking bar of each said retractors, said separable buckle tongues being operable for moving said actuator means from a first position whereat each said locking bar is in said removed position, to a second position whereat said actuator means moves each said locking bar to and holds each said locking bar in said locked position until released, said actuator means including a cable means to move each said locking bar.

A child seat harness for installation in an automobile comprising:

• a child seat configured to receive a child;
• a harness mounted to said child seat and extendable over the child to secure the child within said child seat;
• an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle mounted to said child seat and interlockable with said harness, said tongue includes a pair of separable buckle tongues;
• a pair of retractors, each said retractors including a frame, a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame, a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat said harness is wrapped thereon, a locking bar mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said locking bar is disengaged from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar positively engages said ratchet wheel thereby limiting said spool from rotating to said retracted position;
• at least one actuator means mounted to said child seat and connected to said locking bar of each said retractors, said separable buckle tongues being operable for moving said actuator means from a first position whereat each said locking bar is in said removed position, to a second position whereat said actuator means moves each said locking bar to and holds each said locking bar in said locked position until released, said actuator means is disposed within said seat belt buckle and said tongue is contactable with said actuator means,
• cable means extending from said actuator means to said locking bar and connecting said actuator means and said locking bar, said cable means moves said locking bar to said locked position when said actuator means moves to said second position;
• and
• a second spring engaged between said frame and said locking bar, said second spring being operable to urge said locking bar to said removed position but being yieldable to permit said locking bar to pivot said locking position when said actuator means moves to said second position.

A retractor for use with a child seat having a harness and interengaged combination of a tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:

• a frame;
• a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
• a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
• a locking bar parallel to said axle and mounted to said frame to be movable between a normal removed position whereat said locking bar is located apart from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said locking bar lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
• a cable having a first end attached to said locking bar and further having an opposite second end, said cable movable from a first position whereat said locking bar is in said removed position to a second position whereat said cable moves said locking bar to said locking position;
• and
• actuator means mountable to a child seat and connected to said second end of said cable, said actuator means including a pair of independently movable members, said actuator means operable upon movement of said movable members to move said cable to said second position, said cable movable to said first position when said movable members are released, further said actuator means being disposed within said seat belt buckle and wherein said tongue includes a pair of separable buckle tongues, said pair of buckle tongues contactable with said movable members and being operable for moving said actuator means from said first position to said second position.